My Grandma is really special. And one of the things that makes her so special is that she's been an amazing grandmother to me, despite us not even being blood relatives. She became my grandma when she married my Granddad who was widowed when my Grandma Jane died of breast cancer. Grandma had also been widowed, sadly and tragically, when her husband was killed in a horrific workplace accident. It was unfortunate circumstances that brought my grandparents together, but I believe they were glad to have found each other and lived happily married for 38 years, until he passed away in February 2011.
(Here they are, the happy couple, around the time they got married.
Who is that cute baby she is holding? ME! :))
So my letter to Grandma is personal but I will share one snippet and it will help you see why my Grandma is so thoughtful, generous, and beautiful.
Among my
most treasured earthly possessions are the 30 years worth of Christmas
ornaments that make up the one-of-a-kind Grandma collection. You told me once
that when we grew up and moved out on our own, you didn't want us to have empty
Christmas trees. The year that I moved to Charlotte, I was so lonely. By the
time Christmas rolled around, I certainly wondered if I had made a big mistake.
To ease my loneliness, I got a tiny tree from the Home Depot, covered it with
lights, and hung each ornament that you had made for me. In doing so, I was
reminded that, though lonely, I was not truly alone.
I now
have a big Christmas tree and more sixteen more ornaments from you, as well as
ornaments for my kids that they will take with them when they leave our
nest. I like to think of each of
those ornaments as a hand-made prayer that you stitched with generosity and
selflessness and each is a testimony to who you are.
Happy birthday, Grandma. I'm so grateful for your influence in my life. I love you.
(Grandma & me last summer. Isn't she lovely?)
No comments:
Post a Comment