One year ago

Come on in and grab a seat, don't mind me I'm just talking with a loved one.  Yeah, that shadow right there that keeps shaking her hips. 

It's one year ago today that she passed.  And while the world could be said to become a little less rich for some people, those same people are the ones who will carry forward the beauty and strength that was my Gramma.  And so to celebrate the wonderful woman that she was, again, this day I will share a story or two about who she was.  And anyone who reads, I invite you to share one you might have of her. 

I ever tell you folks it was because of her that I was able to get my Little Bear back and keep her?  I mean sure, I did all the fighting and legal stuff, but the practicality of it was that I worked a job with weird hours, and LB wasn't quite 18 months so couldn't get into any daycares.  So she came into town and stayed with me for the while I needed her to so I didn't have to worry about it.  And because of that Little Bear and Gramma became very close very fast.  And it's a bond that's important to this day.

LB comes up to me the other day and says 'Can I skip school on Monday?'  and I asked why and she explained the anniversary and I asked her to think about her Granny and what she might have done.  Last night LB said to me, 'I'm going to school and in choir I'm going to sing my best, my loudest, and every single note I'm going to dedicate to Granny.  I'm going to be happy she's still with me.'  She floored me with that last line.

After that initial stay with us to get LB to 18 months, Granny would come in every month or so for a week and hang out with LB.  She would make her 'Special Granny Mac'n'Cheese' which was Amber's favorite lunchtime meal, and Granny made it somehow that was just a little different and tasted perfect.  She never did share that sooper sekrit one with me so if anyone knows? 

Anyways, those weeks, LB would rush home to play snakes'n'ladders with Granny, and later learned how to play Cribbage.  Little Bear loved and cherished every single moment she got to spend with Granny, and I'm sure if it were ever an option, the only person she might live with beside her Dad would be Granny. 

Part of that was just that LB loves to love her family, but most of it was that Granny loved her great grand children, loved that she had created this legacy and got to enjoy it and love it and teach it.  And that love was something that just flowed from her.

By the time Little Crow was born, Granny was pretty wizened, and LC would have been about 2 or so, and of course had that first initial reaction of 'Whoa old!'  But then, she crawled into Granny's lap and while my youngest isn't the cuddliest girl some times, she just curled up and snuggled into Granny.  Was one of the strangest reactions I've ever seen a kid go through. 

So today, if you don't feel like sharing a story, or you didn't know my Gramma, I want you to do something for me, and for her.  I want you to love someone.  I want you to show that love with such intensity all they can do is just enjoy it.  I want you to let that love guide you to actions that solidify that love you're showing.  And I want you to take one moment to just hug them, and say 'You're important to me and I love you.'  Just to make sure they know.  Because these are all things my Gramma did in her life.