My Grandmother
Today would be my grandmother’s 97th birthday. We lost her nearly five years ago and not a day doesn’t go by that I don’t think of her.
For one thing, she was a teacher. I have her stapler and her picture in my classroom.
For another, she loved to read. We loved to talk books, especially Nora Roberts and Mary Higgins Clark. Not long before she died, we discovered a series by Anne George about two senior citizen sisters who solved mysteries. We LOVED those books. Gigi (my grandmother) called them the “sister” books. She loved how the two women would call each other “Sister,” as Gigi’s siblings called her, and she loved the idea of the Vulcan statue in Birmingham, with its bare butt. I never did find a good picture of him.
We both love TV. I know she would get a kick out of CASTLE. Probably BONES, too.
We both have a sweet tooth. The last few years, Gigi would stay at my house during the week and go pick up my son and brother from school. Every morning, I’d make muffins or cinnamon rolls and coffee. We’d always have candy and Coke in the house because that was her lunch (hey, she lived to 92, don’t knock it!) Every year for Lent, she would give up candy, which was hard for her because she LOVED Easter candy, especially Peeps!
Another thing I miss is that she loved trying new things, either products at the grocery store or a new restaurant. Every time I try something “just to see what it’s like,” I think of her.
She loved the change of seasons, especially fall and spring. So cool fronts and pretty days make me think of her.
That’s a legacy to leave behind, isn’t it? To have so much joy in simple things that simple things remind people of you after you’re gone?
Labels: family, MJ Fredrick
posted by MJFredrick @ 12:14 AM
6 Comments:
Your grandmother sounds like one in a million zillion. What a wonderful legacy and what beautiful memories you made with her.
My Oma was a great lady to me. I learned to be tough and resilient from her. And I learned to be gracious to others.
I love your stories about Gigi. And I LOL about the naked Vulcan butt. :)
Oh, Mary, she sounds like a fabulous person...so flexible and willing to try new things. I love that! I never had a grandmother around, but I sure wish I did. You must think of her every time you use that stapler!
Mary,
I wish I could have met your grandmother. She sounds like a lot of fun. The next time the noodlers get together, we should have coffee and sweets in honor of Gigi!
What a great lady and what a great legacy to leave behind. I think that is a real legacy. Fame and notoriety are fleeting. It is those every day things that weave themselves into the fabric of our memory over and over that make a true legacy.
What a great lady and what a great legacy to leave behind. I think that is a real legacy. Fame and notoriety are fleeting. It is those every day things that weave themselves into the fabric of our memory over and over that make a true legacy.
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