1. I did not sleep. The kind of did-not-sleep that has completely incapacitated me to do any kind of work/deal with John and Amy's crap democratically.
2. More seriously, today is the one year anniversary of my grandmother's death and I miss her.
So a break from our regularly scheduled programming, while I tell you a little bit about my Oma.
She was a cool lady. She refused to dress like an old lady, never carried an old lady handbag and was always changing her glasses frames. The last ones were bright red, sprinkled with "diamonds", Prada. Wicked awesome frames.
She's always been there, always a part of our lives, and this last year without her...her absence has been hugely noticeable. When I was little she baked cookies with us, got down on her hands and knees to play with toy cars, spent hours building Lego castles with my brother and was more than happy to play with dolls.
She was at graduations, baptisms, school plays, and talent shows. Every birthday and Christmas, Thanksgiving and Easter my Oma was there. Even though she was a diabetic, she would always have "just a tiny" slice of cake.
She volunteered with the local community policing centre, something she loved. She started referring to RCMP officers as "her boys". She loved pansies and The Young and the Restless. She read all the Harry Potters but had piles of romance novels. She always had the warmest hands, and when I was young she would rub my feet. I was always jealous of her hands--she had elegant fingers and perfectly shaped nails.
In the last few years as she got older and tired more easily, I started going to her house at Christmas and wrapping all her presents for her. She loved to shop so there were a lot. It took hours, but she would ply me with shortbread cookies, chocolate and of course, The Young and the Restless--she would provide me with commentary and catch me up on everything I had missed in the year.
In her old age she tried to become computer savvy. She mostly learned how to play solitaire.
She was the common point around whom we all revolved. She was a matriarch, surrounded by her daughters and grandkids.
Without her life has been a little bit less. I'm still unable to talk about her without crying so this is probably the only way I can express how much she meant to me and how much I miss her. I like to think she has been reunited with Opa (who I never met), surrounded by all the pets that have gone before us, eating a big ol' chocolate cake.
We all miss you Oma.
She was the common point around whom we all revolved. She was a matriarch, surrounded by her daughters and grandkids.
Without her life has been a little bit less. I'm still unable to talk about her without crying so this is probably the only way I can express how much she meant to me and how much I miss her. I like to think she has been reunited with Opa (who I never met), surrounded by all the pets that have gone before us, eating a big ol' chocolate cake.
We all miss you Oma.
Thinking of Oma today too...I miss her.
ReplyDeleteWhat an eloquent tribute to your grandmother. I try to take Aug. 10 off work because it's my great-grandmother's birthday. She died at 99 in 2007, and I missed her so much at my wedding because (1) it was two days before her birthday and (2) she told me if I found someone as great as her Bill, she'd stick around for it. Enjoy your Oma Day.
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely way to be remembered - with so many details. I hope I'm remembered like that by whomever I leave behind. I hope you're doing something she loved today... maybe baking?
ReplyDeleteWhat a touching way to remember your grandma. Blessings to you.
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