My Grandma

I have been thinking about my grandmother so much lately and wanted to share what I wrote about her after she died.

Grandma taught us all about love and giving. In her last days she showed strength and I could feel her love pour into me as I sat by her side. She was a beautiful soul and she will live on in us all and in our children as long as we remember and practice what she taught us. Her touch was gentle and healing, her words warm and encouraging, her look nonjudgmental. Grandma was an amazing woman who brought joy and love into all of our lives. I thank her for that everyday. I thank her for using her life the way she did. For giving us all a home to come to and lap to rest our heads on and a letter to brighten our week. She always remembered us and not only told us how she loved us but showed it in every encounter. She would make your favorite meal when you came to visit and listen to you when you needed a friend. Our Grandmother loved each one of us with her whole being. She wanted us only to know how perfect we were and live with strength and joy, not missing all the gifts we were given. She lived like that, in the moment, grateful, and happy to be who she was. I know she loved her life. She loved our Grandfather and all her children. Just days before Grandma died her sister called and thanked her for teaching her about giving and how it brought joy and meaning into her. She thanked her for being such a loving sister and that she impacted her life in so many wonderful ways. I cried when I listened to her sister talk because I could see that we were not the only ones whose lives were so changed by grandma. She seemed to leave a part of herself wherever she went and that part would grow like a beautiful flower, bringing a burst of color and light into any space.

Grandma was a strong woman who seemed to work at seeing the positive. I know the last years her life were so difficult and we can not even know to what extent she suffered, but amazingly even within the pain, she still wanted to see her children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren any time she could. I have never known anyone to take on life like that, to not just give up. She has always given me strength when I need it and she continues to do so. I know she is not far from us and is now embracing us with her soul and peacefully watching over us each day.

Gwendolyn, her name means "Moon Goddess"......She was our moon goddess. She died on the eave of Thanksgiving. So fitting for such and generous giving woman. So I want to say thank you to her, our Grandmother, our mother, our sister, our friend. Thanks you for being such a big part of our lives. Thank you for teaching us to love ourselves, to live our lives. Thank you for loving us for who we were. Thank you for all our memories. We love you and just hope to be able to do for someone else's life what you have done for ours. For being as generous, gracious and loving as you, is what life is about. We had such a wonderful time with you grandma...Thank you for sharing your life with us.

Love

Priscilla