In 1973, I skipped my teacher’s meeting & rode a bus from Flagstaff, AZ to Heber City, UT to meet you..
On my birthday every year both my mom and grandmother would tell me this story. Some years it would make me cringe with annoyance and other years I would embrace it for the pure fact that it was a big event in their lives.
When I say my grandma was so different than most grandmas out there - I truly do mean it. All grandparents are different. My dad’s parents were completely different than my mom’s parents. Both sets were important parts of my life growing up.
I was fortunate to have Gram in my life for 36 years of my life. She watched us when we were kids, stayed with us while my parents went on vacation…. All my summers growing up were spent at her house in the mountains of Flagstaff. Her husband passed away nearly 29 years ago. She continued to live an amazing life….filled with travels, cooking, entertaining, playing tennis, etc… She was so stylish - sewing some of the most cutting edge clothing from her Vogue patterns. She was so smart when it came to her money. Investing her money wisely.
She grew up on a farm without electricity in Ohio. In college she roomed with her sisters. She talked about how she didn’t have the best GPA, but had a good time. She was a high school teacher. She took classes to learn how to use the computer in her 60s. We instant messaged for a number of years. She used her cell phone on a regular basis. Best of all, she wrote some fabulous letters. She was a great tennis player, she tried her best to teach me..
She was such an amazing force in our lives. She showed me through her actions and words - the value of unconditional love. She supported me and encouraged me regardless of the choices I made or the paths I took.
It was hard over the past year seeing her slow down and seeing her become so dependent on my mom. Our instant messaging stopped, but our phone calls continued. She stopped writing letters, but I kept on writing. Our weekly phone calls continued - to talk about life, the weather, my dog and how she missed me.
When I went home for Christmas, she was slowing down, but was still aware and was stronger. The past 2 weeks were hard - not knowing just how much longer she had. She was tired, she was ready to let go. She lived an amazing long life. Getting a phone call at 4 AM East Coast time was hard….but knowing that she’s on to a better place, wherever that may be, is reassuring.
