I just returned from a trip that nobody wants to take ever. A trip home to say a final goodbye and to pay respects to a dearly loved one, my grandmother. I have a rather large family and my grandmother will forever be loved and missed by many, but none more so than my grandfather.
My grandfather is the cutest and he is so emotional. It broke my heart to see him mourn my grandmother. In many ways, I could relate to his loss. But in many other ways, I couldn't. My grandparents were married for nearly 63 years and had dated three years prior to getting married! They experienced just about any and everything that life can throw at a person throughout a lifetime. As my grandmother's health began to decline other the years, it was my grandfather who cared for her. He helped to make dinner, did the laundry, made sure she took her medications, and helped her to get from one place to another. He was with her night at day for weeks in the hospital and was with her as she took her final breath.
Their love was pure and true and withstood the test of time, which is a rarity these days. So when my grandfather called my mother late the night before the wake to ask if anyone was going to say a eulogy, I didn't hesitate to call him back to tell him that I would do my best. It was a gift that I knew he wanted for her and one that I felt honored to not only do for him, but even more so, my grandmother. She was a wonderful woman and she deserved to be spoken of and remembered with love.
So the night before the funeral, just like with my husband, I stayed up late and wrote a final remembrance for a cherished loved one. Even more difficult than standing in front of a group of people under those circumstances, is finding the right words to use. How do you begin to share, remember, and honor 83 years of life? But not just any life, the life of my grandmother. She was many different things to many different people and I wanted to honor that as well too.
I wrote with love and shared bits and pieces of my grandmother's life and some of my family's fondest memories of her, some tear jerking, some funny. All I had wanted to do was to honor her memory and had hoped that she would have felt that honor and love. I got my answer when I made my way back to the pew after reading it, my grandfather held out his hand to mine and told me with tears in his eyes that it was beautiful and that she would have loved it. Thank you grandpa, only you knew her best.
My grandfather is the cutest and he is so emotional. It broke my heart to see him mourn my grandmother. In many ways, I could relate to his loss. But in many other ways, I couldn't. My grandparents were married for nearly 63 years and had dated three years prior to getting married! They experienced just about any and everything that life can throw at a person throughout a lifetime. As my grandmother's health began to decline other the years, it was my grandfather who cared for her. He helped to make dinner, did the laundry, made sure she took her medications, and helped her to get from one place to another. He was with her night at day for weeks in the hospital and was with her as she took her final breath.
Their love was pure and true and withstood the test of time, which is a rarity these days. So when my grandfather called my mother late the night before the wake to ask if anyone was going to say a eulogy, I didn't hesitate to call him back to tell him that I would do my best. It was a gift that I knew he wanted for her and one that I felt honored to not only do for him, but even more so, my grandmother. She was a wonderful woman and she deserved to be spoken of and remembered with love.
So the night before the funeral, just like with my husband, I stayed up late and wrote a final remembrance for a cherished loved one. Even more difficult than standing in front of a group of people under those circumstances, is finding the right words to use. How do you begin to share, remember, and honor 83 years of life? But not just any life, the life of my grandmother. She was many different things to many different people and I wanted to honor that as well too.
I wrote with love and shared bits and pieces of my grandmother's life and some of my family's fondest memories of her, some tear jerking, some funny. All I had wanted to do was to honor her memory and had hoped that she would have felt that honor and love. I got my answer when I made my way back to the pew after reading it, my grandfather held out his hand to mine and told me with tears in his eyes that it was beautiful and that she would have loved it. Thank you grandpa, only you knew her best.
| I love you Grandma. |
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