I have been trying to write this blog for days and I just don't know what to write. I wanted to make sure that the world, or whoever reads this, will know who she is. A place I can come back to and feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Something Annaka can read and get a glimpse of the woman she sits with in her pictures. But truth be told, Grandma is gone, if you didn't know her you just didn't know her, you missed out. Annaka will only have my memories and when I can no longer remember I will only have pictures and what I write now. So all I can think of is to write all the things I remember, the good the bad, the funny and the sad.
I remember......
That she took extra cream in her coffee. It was always the color of coffee ice cream.
She wore her hair the same way everyday, high in her head with a bow in her hair.
I asked her once when I was little why she wore her bows. She said that her patients liked them.
When I was little, in kindergarden maybe, she took me to her job, at the nursing home. I loved it, I loved the people. She said all I had to do was talk to them and it would make them happy. I was happy to make them happy. I know this is why I feel so fondly towards the elderly and prefer to work in geriatrics.
Before we hung up she always said "We'll talk again soon."
When she said "I love you Bethie."
When I was 12 eating a french fry she sang to me "A moment on the lips a lifetime on the hips." I did not appreciate that. :)
She use to take her teeth out at the most awkward times.
She would ask me to rub her feet with lotion, I use to hate it.
When she sang the song "Beans Beans the magical fruit the more you eat the more you toot the more you toot the better you feel so lets have beans with every meal."
Whenever she sent a a card she always sent a "smiley track" and return labels.
When I was younger and she would remind me to pray for my father because he worked nights and people who worked nights were more likely to get in a car accident.
If I said I like it she would try and give it to me.
She always wanted to give me money.
She loved when I prayed for her.
The last words I ever heard clearly from her were "I'm miserable."
Cuddling up next to her on the couch when we were together.
Cleaning my room and being upset because I could not find anything.
Fighting with her and saying sorry.
Spending the night with her in her bed, she always gave me all the pillows.
Her facial expressions, when she was excited and her she raised her eyebrows, or when she was so happy and would say "Wow". You could read her like a book, she wore her emotions on her face. I think that I get that from her.
Holding her hand.
Hearing her sing loud and off key.
Playing the accordion.
Praying to Jesus.
Eating her chicken and rice and her oatmeal.
Brushing her hair for her when she couldn't.
How her face would light up when she saw Annaka.
How excited she would sound whenever I called.
How brave she was to tell everyone even my friends about her faith in Jesus.
Talking to her about my classes and my life.
The way she smells (I'm afraid I am going to forget this one.)
Her laugh and smile.
This is just a tiny bit of all the things that I remember about my grandmother and the things that I will miss. I feel that Grandma and I were close and that we had a special relationship. I think that no matter what we always miss the people that we love I hope to never forget all these things. I hope that as time goes on I can add things to this list. I'm sorry if you never knew my Grandma but I hope that this can be a reminder to cherish all the small things for the loved ones in your life.
