My Grandmothers Eulogy

Gram's Eulogy

I believe in life there are certain people that find each other because they are our kindred spirits. Some people find this person in their spouse, or in a best friend but I found this companion in my Grandmother (or Gram as I called her). We shared a special bond that I have with no one else. She has been my person, my lap to crawl up in and the one that loved me more then anyone else. She has always been the person who saw into my heart and my soul and understood my true nature. I have been truly blessed to know my Grandma.

A few months ago, before my Gram got sick I made my list of the 10 things I loved about her. I shared this with her via e-mail, but she didn’t say much about it.  I wondered if she truly liked it. A week or two later, I went to her house and found a copy of the list I had written in almost every room of her home. One on the refrigerator, one next to her bed, two in the computer room, one on the chair in the basement and one next to her paper under the cryptiquote. Some copies were crinkled and well read. I assumed this meant she truly liked it. I feel it was some sort of divine intervention that I created that list and shared it with her before she became ill. There was not anything left unsaid between us and she knew exactly how special she was to me. I would like to share my list with you now.

1. Everything tastes good at Grandma’s house (especially the Special K cookies, red hot apples, fudge and her chicken crepes).  Literally, everything this woman made was delicious!
2. Grandma enjoyed the outdoors more than anyone else I know. She would sit for hours during the winter observing (and cringing) at the geese landing on the icy pond, during the summer she would watch “Jenny Wren” tending to her babies or she would take a special affinity toward a lonely praying mantis. It was amazing to witness someone with such an appreciation for God’s creation.
3. I love the way Gram and I shared the same eclectic taste. We can walk into a store and we will both hone in on the kitschiest, most off beat item that only we find irresistible.
4. When I came to my Grandma’s house I always felt like I was home.
5. Grandma never hesitated to tell it like it was. Such an honest open person is rare to find. There is no one else I would rather back me up when dealing with a:
1. Car Salesmen
2. Ex-boyfriend
3. Terrible co-worker

            She always knows the perfect thing to say to get her point across.

6. I love the way my Grandma and I could talk for hours and hours while sharing a delicious cup of hot chocolate on a cold winter day. There is no one I would rather be snowed in with more than my Gram.
7. Grandma and I share the same love for art and especially painting. We spent hours painting quietly in the basement.  Even when we hated the end result we didn’t really care, the process of painting together was far more important than the product.  I can look at everything I have created and can remember the fun we had together.
8. I admired the way Gram was our family’s historian. Every one of her hundreds and hundreds of antiques has a story and Grandma can tell every one of them. Her fantastic memory makes it possible for our family’s history to be passed down from generation to generation.
9. I try to emulate my Grandma’s persistence, grace and strength. She never gave up, or complained and she kept herself going everyday even if it was hard to do so. 
10.  I love that my Grandma was my Best Friend.

 Gram and I have been separated into our different worlds and saying good-bye was tremendously difficult. But even now in grief, I try to remind myself that I am blessed. I was given a person who was tremendously special. I know in my heart that I appreciated her for as long as she was in my life. Nothing was left unsaid, I have thanked God for her everyday because she molded me into the person I am. I have been blessed. I hope that today you can think of your own top ten reasons my Grandma was special to you. I also encourage you tell your own special kindred spirit how much you love them today and to be thankful to whatever higher power you believe in for the human blessings in our lives.