Grandma

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I have had this post written for almost a month. I always struggle with writing a post and then critiquing myself for a few days before I post it. This post is a little different because I do my best to keep this lighthearted and fun but I also want to be real. I have gone back and forth about whether I wanted to even publish this but I felt silly talking about the wedding or the house without acknowledging the life of someone who so influenced mine.

About 4 weeks ago, my grandma passed away very suddenly. She was the kind of grandma that all kids deserve but not all kids get. She loved her family so intensely.

There are so many ways that she showed her love. One of my favorites were her birthday dinners. Everyone in our family got a birthday dinner every year. I didn't realize that all families don't celebrate birthdays like they should until recently and it made me appreciate this even more. Grandpa and Grandma weren't rich but I thought they were millionaires because every  Christmas they showered the grandkids with a house full of gifts. I think they are partially responsible for gifts being one of my love languages (the other part would be my aunt Debbie). Not too long ago, Grandma reminded me that when I was a child, she was my favorite. I'm not sure if I remember or if I have just been told but I knew she was right.

I have very few childhood memories that don't have my grandma and grandpa in them. They were so present in my life, from softball games to church plays, they were always there. My favorite days were spent with them at the lake, in their pool or watching a John Wayne movie at their house.  I will always cherish the time I had with both of them.

After she passed away, someone said that momma's are the glue that holds the family together so we have to work to stay close. I'm not worried about my family staying close. It's rare for a family to love each other and genuinely enjoy each other's company like my family does. I don't believe this is a coincidence at all, my grandpa and grandma were truly Christian leaders of our entire family and God blessed them and all of us with the kind of love that I wish every family could have. There was an article in the paper the Sunday after she passed away about an Arkansan soldier's funeral, the father of the fallen soldier said to his wife something like "grief is the price we pay to love." These words are so true as long as you are on this earth. While we are grieving her life with us now, we know that one day we will see her again.

I don't say all this because I want you to feel sorry for me, I say it because my Grandma deserved to have these things said of her. I was blessed to have her in my life for 26 years but she was the kind of person that you could spend 100 years with and still want more.

I'm so thankful that Bryce and Carly came to eat Easter lunch with us this past year or we wouldn't have this picture of the whole family.