What Remains

 

Yesterday (10/30), we held a ceremony and buried the physical remains of my grandma.  My beloved “Mome”.  The night before, the husband was checking on my emotional state and I told him, “I’m good.  She has already given me so much. It’s enough.”  This came earlier than we expected, but still my grandma has passed so many things down to me, most of which were passed down through my mom.  A few of the most impactful things that I received from her include…

·       Teaching kids about Jesus.  She was passionate about it and good at it.  From Sunday school to VBS to in-home backyard bible camps, she did it all and so have I.

·       Compassion for her neighbors.  Sure, maybe she was a little nosy, but she cared… AND she prayed.  She cared about what was going on in their lives and was always willing to help out however she could. In my lifetime, I saw her serve as a bonus grandma to kids in the neighborhood offering tutoring, advice, and, of course, snacks. 

·       High value on education. My grandma found a way to transition from a cafeteria lady to an educator.  She also pursued a college education late in life.  Even after her circumstances changed and she couldn’t work full-time, she worked as a bus monitor.

·       Love for the kitchen.  My grandma was always in the kitchen and so much love came out of her kitchen.  I always joke that food is my love language and my grandma definitely contributed to that.  Every time I stayed the night at their house, she had all of my favorite snacks, and nobody made cinnamon toast like Mome.

·       A willingness to take somebody in.  My grandparents had an extra teenager when my mom was small. They also had my great grandparents move in and live with them for a while.  And Aunt Dorothy (her sister) lived over there at one point.  Those are just the people that I know of.

·       A clean house.  She was obsessive about having a clean house.

·       A love for animals, especially the tiny ones.  She was always willing to take in the runt that got kicked out or even a whole litter of abandoned kittens. Getting up multiple times at night, just to care for the animal. 

·       People watching and creating theories.  We used to go to the mall and get pretzels and sit on the bench and talk.  As people would pass by, she would point out certain details about them and come up with a back story to explain the details/interactions.  Who knows if she was even close, but it taught me to be observant and to always keep in mind that the people I’m dealing with have a back story.  They have circumstances and people that have guided them to where they are today, good and bad.

·       A love for motorcycles.

·       A willingness to step up and be in charge of something.  As I get older, I am learning that there are people in this world who are scared to make decisions, especially decisions that affect other people.  My grandma was always willing to be in-charge and call the shots, and I thought this was normal.

There a few things that I did inherit but that she was a lot better at.  Hopefully, as I get older, I will get better too.

·       Her commitment to prayer. 

·       Her willingness to debate controversial issues.

·       Her love of scripture.

 

Those of you that know me well, know how each of these play out in my own life.  I see my grandma woven throughout my life and I know that she has contributed to my identity in many ways.  I am thankful that she loved me unconditionally and invested so much time, energy, and resources into me.  I will always have the memories of long walks around the neighborhood and hours at the mall. 

I inherited these things and many more.  But I think the most important thing that that she passed on to me is this: She never gave up on people and ALWAYS believed in God’s ability to redeem a situation. 

I am a small part of her legacy.