Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Rest in Peace, Granny

I thanked you for your thoughts and prayers yesterday and echo it again today - this week has been a fog for our family and we take all the virtual hugs we can get.

A special woman left this earth on Monday and I want to take a day to remember her and her beautiful smile.

Just short of 99 years old, we said our goodbyes to the lovely, beautiful and strong woman I've known my whole life as "Granny".

I spent much of my youth in the careful watch of my grandmother and learned so many things from her that I will never forget. From her I learned patience, the joys of a simple life, how to choose the sweetest raspberries off the vine, how hard work pays off,  how to be a lady, the secret that you're never too old to get your hair done and certainly never too old to bring more love into your life.

Even in her later years she reminded us that if you want breakfast in bed, you have to sleep in the kitchen. Clever one, she was!

She took the time to teach me how to play this song on the piano, even if it was the only thing I could play. I would pound those ivory keys with delight and pride. She set her mind one day on teaching me how to properly use a big-girl toilet and proudly handed me back to my parents fully trained. She always had cookies in the cookie jar for when the children and grandchildren would visit, and always would have written letters in the mail on their way to pen-pals and relatives.

While she was and forever will be granny to me, she was a faithful wife, a loving mother, a kind spirit and always a lady.

I made a special trip today to Bi-Mart where she would visit most every day to stay active and bought the cookies that she would have in her cookie jar every time I would visit. I had an odd feeling when I was pulling the boxes off of the shelves, thinking to myself how many she enjoyed herself when we weren't around, what she would say to us today if she was still here and just how proud she would be of the good decisions we've made and the good people we've all become.

Her service is Friday the 22nd of March where her family will gather to celebrate nearly 99 years of a beautiful life. I have volunteered to be a pall bearer along with seven other family members to carry her to her final resting place where she reunites with her late husband at Lincoln Memorial Park. She will be forever overlooking the beautiful lights of the city of Portland while she watches over her surviving seven children, 29 grandchildren, 35 great grandchildren and seven great-great-grandchildren.

We love you, Doris. Sleep well, pretty lady. <3

heart JE

5 comments

Brookelyn said...

what a big family, so full of love. they must have learned it from their granny :)

Ashley said...

:-( Sorry girl. When my Grammy passed someone told me "Now you have an angel watching over you." and it really helped me think of everything in a different light.

Jessi said...

You're so sweet, thank you Ashley! That simple reminder really does help

Week 11: Cohabitation | JUMPING JE said...

[...] funeral service for granny is this afternoon at 1pm and I’m lucky to have a manager who is flexible and understanding of [...]

March Summary | JUMPING JE said...

[...] And once again as we leave the month, I’d like to repeat that I thank you for all of the well wishes, thoughts, notes and letters wishing us well after the loss of a wonderful woman. We miss you Granny! [...]