A Final Goodbye

As I sit here on my patio in beautiful Spain it doesn´t seem possible but my family has suffered a great loss. A woman who some people called wife, mother, cousin, aunt, friend but Grandma by me passed away. She was an amazing woman. When I was a child, grandma was always there for us. I remember big wonderful family meals with all my aunts, uncles, and cousins. For those of you who don´t know, we have a BIG family so dinner was a hectic affair yet some how grandma made it all seem seamless, at least for us kids. Thanksgiving and Christmas were times of great joy at Grandma´s house. There was always lots of talking and loud laughter.

Grandma used to cut our hair. She would make us clothes too and yet still waitressed full time. After I had my first waitressing job I remember going home to grandma and telling her how amazed I was that she could feed nine children on a waitressing salary. She must have been exhausted! I was exhausted from working just for spending money. When I told her how amazed I was with her she just gave a little chuckle like it was nothing of great importance. She just did what needed to be done. After having my two daughters and having two in diapers I was again in awe of my grandma. How did she have 4 kids in diapers at once?! I still don´t know how she did it. Grandma was always calm.

Every year my family would join together for "beach week". When I was younger that meant that Grandma and Grandpa would rent a two bedroom house near the beach and all my aunts, uncles and cousins would pack in. Every available space on the floor and couches was taken up with sleeping people yet somehow Grandma made this fun. She would take the kids (me, my brothers and cousins) with her on her daily walk first thing in the morning. We thought this was great fun especially because she would buy us an egg, sausage and cheese breakfast sandwich. I realize now that she was probably getting us out of the house to give the adults some space but at this time we loved her attention. Her time with us didn´t end there though. She would take us to the tennis courts and patiently "play" tennis with us. She played with us over the years from when we couldn´t really play at all until we would hit our rackets on the ground in frustration. She kept with it every summer while we learned. Her patience and understanding really knows no bounds.

Her house was always open and you could stop by unannounced and be greeted with joy. Before we moved to Prague we knew that Grandma would probably die before we moved back. Not because she was old because she wasn´t. We knew it because she had cancer. Grandma understood my desire to move abroad and gave me the freedom to follow a dream. She could have been silent and I would have wondered if I should go or not but in her great goodness she said, "Mary, go to Prague and enjoy life. I have lived mine." Doesn´t that just say it all about the selflessness of the woman?! Since she is in heaven now she can see and hear us. I would like to tell her thank you for being a wonderful grandma. Thank you for giving me a sense of family. Thank you for teaching me to be loving, patient and kind. I love you and I will miss you greatly.

Grandma making me laugh
4 Generations: Grandma, Mom, Me, Sofia and Ali