Today was my Grandma's memorial service and it was really, really nice.
Monty McGowen officiated and did a great job. He spoke about my grandma and he spoke about my grandpa too, and their years together. About their businesses and family.
After the service, we met at KBobs, and out came the stories. People sat at tables here and there, swapping stories about Gram and Gramp, and ACE and Coast to Coast. My aunt did an amazing job of compiling books of photos and memories, things that my grandma had held onto, things she valued.
Naturally, it made me think about my grandparents a lot. I remember wanting to learn how to sew, so my Gram got out an embroidery hoop, needle, and thread and helped pencil out a design to follow. I sat at her kitchen table and worked at it for good 20 minutes before I realized I had been embroidering right onto her kitchen tablecloth! She just thought it was funny.
When I was younger, I was especially gullible when it came to my Grandpa. Whenever I went to their house for lunch, we sat at the table, me with my back to a window. Lunch after lunch, he would point at something behind me and exclaim, and like a dope I would excitedly turn to see the moose or eagle or whatever he thought of that day. When I turned back around, he would have stolen my drink, or my fork, or sometimes my whole damn plate. I would pretend to be annoyed and he would laugh and laugh.
A very long time ago, Gram and Gramp drove my sister and I out to Nebraska to see relatives, and it was quite a trip! I learned how to swim on that trip! And we talked Grampa into trying a Fruit Roll-Up and he took a big bite... without knowing you have to take the plastic off first. On the way home, we got pulled over, and while Gramp and Gram were talking casually to the police officer, I drew a portrait of the man. That police portrait stayed on their fridge for a long time.
A couple years ago, I was driving my Gram from ACE to her house and she was reading me something- a letter or a magazine or something. And I marveled at how just hearing her voice took me back.. it made me feel younger, like when I would lean into her side, sitting on the couch, reading books together. Her voice was just so familiar.
And Grampa taught me to play cards... but he CHEATED!! One more than one occasion, I caught him, literally, with cards up his sleeve. And he would just cackle.
It's memories like these that will stay with me forever, and I will love them forever.
Today was a beautiful service for a beautiful person.
Love, Sarah
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