Tuesday, October 25, 2016

Grammy

Last night, I fell asleep watching TV. When I woke up, before I shook the hubs and stumbled into bed, I checked my e-mail one last time. “Grammy passed away…” I could read before I even opened it. I smiled, breathed a sigh of relief and went to bed.

Grammy kept us on high alert for quite awhile before she finally left this world. My mom and her siblings were called in to say their final goodbyes over a week ago. They sat around her with Gramps and waited for her final breath. They would end up waiting for days. During this time, Grammy slept peacefully, with no feeding tube or IV to prolong her life. She had lived her good, long, life, and she was ready to go. For some reason, though, God wasn’t quite ready for her. He held her body up for nine days before her appointed day came. Why? I’m not sure we’ll ever know. Maybe it was so that Gramps and his kids could have hours of time together -- “supernaturally sweet,” as my mom called it. Maybe someone needed that precious time to get used to the hard truth that life on this earth is temporary. Maybe it was so my cousin could make it home from Thailand and see Grammy one more time. Maybe someone’s heart will be in just the right place to receive Jesus on the day of Grammy’s funeral. Maybe some hospice nurse needed to see what dying is like for Christians--joy!

I remember when I was in elementary school telling a teacher, “My grandparents are so young! They don’t even have to wear glasses yet!” I was proud of the fact that I had four living grandparents, and almost all my great-grandparents, too. I remember thinking my young Grammy was so cool when she grabbed a rolling pin and acted like she was going to beat Gramps with it. All the girl cousins rushed to Gramps’s defense. It was an uncharacteristic moment of orneriness. I could identify with ornery!

I loved to see what Grammy was working on in her sewing room -- a beautiful quilt, painstakingly arranged, a dress up or doll’s outfit, or bags for little girls at the orphanage in Haiti that was so near and dear to her heart. I spent hours digging through Grammy’s button tins, looking for my favorite ones over and over. And Grammy wasn’t just a whiz in the sewing room. She could cook, too! Texas straw hats and poppy seed bread were my favorite. A few times, I got to help her take meals to Gramps’s harvest crew. I remember the big orange cooler of lemonade sitting on the tailgate next to a full meal she’d “whipped up” for the hungry farmers. Grammy loved to show us pictures in her intricately labeled photo albums. Every page had a story. Many of those stories were about God’s love. Grammy’s faith was deep and it overflowed into everything she did and said.

When I got older and went away to college, I saw Grammy only a few times a year. But I remember being proud to tell her all about school and, later, introduce her to my boyfriend. And a few years after the boyfriend became the husband, oh, it was fun to introduce our babies to their Great-Grammy. She loved babies! And she loved telling stories about her babies, especially my mom. Grammy and Gramps made a few trips out to Missouri. My sister and I lived near Kennett, where they had lived early in their marriage. Now a young married woman myself, I loved hearing about their early life as a couple and seeing pictures of the two. I thought Gramps was so handsome and Grammy, so elegant!


I was really honored when Grammy and Gramps made another trip to Missouri just to see the home and land that Ryan and I had bought. It was quite a drive, and Grammy had broken her hip recently and was walking with a cane. That was the first time I remember thinking that Grammy was getting old. She even wore glasses!







The years passed on and time did what it does in this fallen world. Grammy’s body slowly started failing her. I remember when she let my sisters and I raid her fabric closet. Then I noticed her gnarled hands, no longer able to sew. It was a sad reality that she turned into a blessing for us girls. Her ears failed her, too. She didn’t always hear us, but she had a pleasant expression on her face and piped in with witty comments when she did catch a piece of the conversation. A few more years and there was less and less that Grammy could do, but she always stayed pleasant and witty. My mom shared stories of the cute things Grammy said, “I love you back--and your front and your sides, too!” The last time I saw Grammy was at Christmas. I had a feeling it might be goodbye. She was sweet and kind, but it also made me a little sad to see her looking so old and broken.

So, when I heard she had passed, I smiled. Grammy isn’t broken any more. She’s whole! She doesn’t need a wheelchair or a cane -- she’s walking in heaven! And she’s not lonely or “out of it” -- she is reunited with her daughter Kim, holding her miscarried grandbabies, and catching up with old friends and family. She can hear, and she hears the voice of her savior. And those gnarled hands are straight again, and they’re praising Jesus!

I’ve cried some tears, and I’ll cry some more--I am part Teeter girl, after all - but I’m not crying for Grammy. The day Grammy died was the happiest day of her life!  

15 comments:

Deborah Raney said...

What a perfect tribute to Grammy. I love every word.

Susan Snodgrass said...

I am so sorry for your loss. I lost my mama five years ago to the ravages of dementia. She, too, was a seamstress like your Grammy. The world is just not the same place. But they are so happy in Glory!Your post is very moving. I am one of your mama's readers and she has kept us up to date with her family Prayers for you all.

Jean Kincaid said...

What a glorious tribute for a child of God!!! I can't stop the tears. My heart is saying, "Praise the Lord." Rejoicing that she is whole again and praying God wraps you in his arms of comfort.

Shelli Littleton said...

Beautiful. It sounds like our grandmothers were very similar. ❤ And your mother is a blessing to know.

GrandaddyA said...

What a powerful witness to a life well-lived! I love this post. May God continue to hold each of you in His hands in the coming days.

Kim Vogel Sawyer said...

We do not mourn as those without faith. I love how many wonderful memories you have of your beloved Grammy.

Pamela S. Meyers said...

A beautiful tribute. I can see you inherited the writing DNA from your mom. I'm her friend and have never met you, but now I see I have known you more than I knew through your mom. Thanks for sharing your heart today. I'm sorry for your loss, but rejoice with you that she is freed from her earthly failing body for once and for all and is with our LORD!

marilynturk.com said...

Your Grammy sounds like she was such a wonderful person, the kind of grammy I wish I were. Thank you for sharing your sweet memories of her with us. Praise God that you know she is happy and healthy now and you will see her smiling face again.

pol said...

Yes, such a beautiful tribute and I know you are proud of the young woman she has become. We all know we will lose our parents and of course it hurts even though we know it is life moving on to another level and soon it will come our turn too. We are now the older generation,you and I.

RobinEgg said...

I have fond, wonderful memories on the farm in Kansas with Uncle Max and Aunt Winifred. It was their home that made me dream of someday having a farmhouse on sprawling land. I loved walking through that house seeing all her handmade quilts and adorable doll clothes. I can still smell the food and hear the laughter. I wish I'd spent more time in Kansas with that part of my family. Reading this helps me remember where that "farm" part of me came from. What a beautiful tribute to Aunt Winnie. Thank you.

RobinEgg said...

I have fond, wonderful memories on the farm in Kansas with Uncle Max and Aunt Winifred. It was their home that made me dream of someday having a farmhouse on sprawling land. I loved walking through that house seeing all her handmade quilts and adorable doll clothes. I can still smell the food and hear the laughter. I wish I'd spent more time in Kansas with that part of my family. Reading this helps me remember where that "farm" part of me came from. What a beautiful tribute to Aunt Winnie. Thank you.

Veronica said...

What a beautiful tribute to your Grandma! I know that she will be missed, but how blessed you are to have such wonderful memories of her!

Unknown said...

A beautiful tribute

Terri said...

You are an amazing legacy of your Grammy's faith.

Debbie Wilder said...

What a beautiful tribute. Just reading this I wish I had had the privilege of meeting your Grammy. I'm praying for you and your whole family.