Grandmas are Moms with Lots of Frosting...

My sweet Granny Graham, my mom's mom, passed away last week.  It was sudden, but not totally unexpected.  I made a quick trip home to Virginia to be with the family and attend the funeral, and I did something I've never done before...I gave the eulogy.

I've gone back and forth on whether or not to share the eulogy with you all online.  I finally decided that I should.  Granny had such a powerful life story, and I feel like it's something that should be shared as a way to remember such a special woman:

As children, we love visiting our grandmothers because they spoil us with their love.  As teenagers we start to view our grandmothers as role models and mentors—someone to aspire to be like when we are finally grown.  As adults our admiration for our grandmother continues to grow as we begin to realize that if we can become even half of the person she was, we’re on the right track.  At least that’s how my relationship with my granny developed over time.

Growing up Granny spoiled all of her grandchildren.  We had an entire playroom dedicated to just us, with all the latest games and toys.  But, I was never that interested in the new toys.  I was in love with my granny’s dollhouse.  Every time I came over, she would haul out this dollhouse and let me play for hours—lost in my own world of imagination.  Did I mention that this dollhouse was massive? Definitely not the easiest thing to constantly get out and put away.

It wasn’t all fun and games, however.  My granny was probably the greatest teacher I ever had.  She taught me to type (on a typewriter, not a computer….wow, am I really that old?)  She guided me through piano lessons, introduced me to musical theater, encouraged me sing any chance I could find, and instilled in me a love for reading.  Whenever I had a paper to write, she was my go-to editor.  Everything wasn’t always so idyllic, however.  We definitely had our moments of disagreement.  My granny could be stubborn and headstrong, and, well, so can I.  But, I think that’s why we got along so well.

As I headed off to college, graduated and moved away from home, I began to realize just what a special and unique woman I had been privileged to call my granny my entire life.  Not long into her childhood, her father passed away, and soon after her mother remarried growing her family to include her stepfather, Papi, her two stepbrothers Jack and Jim and her stepsister Rachel, in addition to her mother and brother Charlie.  She had to be strong at a very young age—a trait she would continue to exemplify her entire life.  In many ways, she was a “woman before her time,” graduating from college with a degree in social work and later returning to school to further her degree in library sciences.  For many years, she lived the difficult life of a military wife, giving birth to her first two children while living abroad in Japan.  In addition to her role as a mother and grandmother, she dedicated her life to others, working for the YWCA, the Red Cross, the Girl Scouts and later becoming an active member at our home church.   Truly an inspiring woman.

We all have our own memories of the amazing woman that we are here today to celebrate.  She has touched each of our lives in some special way.  I hope that someday I will be able to touch lives the same way she touched mine.  I love you, Granny.

This picture was taken the last time I saw my Granny, before moving to CA.  We took her to lunch at a local pizza parlor and had the best time.  Such a wonderful memory.