And, oh, what a bright shining star she is! On Christmas Eve/Christmas morning, at 1:35 a.m., my family received a phone call that my Grams passed away. She was not just any Grams. I grew up with her living in the same house as me. Whenever I would go home to NY, I would look forward to spending time with her - just sitting at the kitchen table and chatting. I have never had to deal with the death of anyone that close to me before. There are lots of aches and pains that go along with it. This whole thing still has not hit me fully yet. I was lucky enough to choke out a few words at my Grams's funeral. Here they are:
"When most people think of a grandmother, they think of a little old lady sitting in a rocking chair knitting. My Grams might have been tiny in size, but with her red lipstick and nail polish and a Vogue magazine always close at hand, she was anything but typical. She was gorgeous on the outside and stunning on the inside. For nearly 30 years, I have been lucky enough to live in the same house as my grandparents. During that time, I have made many fond memories with my Grams. We spent many summers in Mattituck - lounging on the beach in straw hats, floating in the waves, and having barbecues on the front patio. In the morning, my sister and I would always argue over who would crawl into bed with Grandma. But Grams would always make sure there was enough room in her twin bed for both of us to squeeze in there with her.
As I matured, so did my relationship with my Grams. She always loved hearing stories about school, work, and my social life. But most importantly, she wanted to know what clothes, makeup, and jewelry I was wearing when I went out. She was always quite the glamour girl. I looked to my Grams for advice about so many thing. She would always tell me everything would be okay. There are some things in life that I have doubted, but my Grandma's love for me was never one of them. I know she loved me, my family, and friends with all of her heart. There are so many things that I will miss about my Grams - her hugs and smile, her voice and laugh. But especially the small things that meant so much. She always made sure to buy me a pound of rainbow cookies every time I came home to visit. As small as it was, that was one of my favorite parts of my trip home. Whenever I would go back to Georgia, she would always tell me that my trip home was not long enough. Today, I would like to tell my Grams that her visit with us was not long enough. Thank you for being such a perfect Grams and for being one of my best friends."
~Grieve not nor speak of me with tears, but laugh and talk of me as if I were beside you. I loved you so. It was heaven here with you.~
I love you and miss you, Grams!
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