Thanks for the memories!

Today is my paternal grandmother's birthday. Mamaw passed away a few years ago and was by far the hardest loss I have ever experienced. My Papaw and Mamaw were the perfect grandparents. I know that after people pass we tend to only remember the good stuff but they really were amazing. During my childhood they stepped in and took over my dad's weekend visitations when my dad was unable to be there for me and my brother. That is a story in its self. My Papaw would come pick us up every other Friday after he got off work and take us to their house for the weekend. We would always giggle to ourselves on the ride because most of it was made with the blinker on, we thought that was the funniest thing in the world. I think my greatest childhood memories are of being with them and I bet my brother feels the same. In a world of dysfunction, they were a rock. Always stable and reliable.

My Papaw passed in my later teenage years of bone cancer. It was hard to see him at the final visit in the hospital. His lung continually filled up with fluid and prohibited his breathing until the nurses came and suctioned him. They never seemed to come as fast as I expected and I remember feeling so angry at them. The funeral was a beautiful celebration of his life. Most of the eulogy was stories we grand kids told the pastor at a meeting before the service. We laughed, we cried and we were thankful to have had such a loving and caring grandfather.

My beloved Mamaw also died of cancer. Honestly, it was in so many places in her body that I am not exactly sure where it started, lungs maybe. A few months before she died I took a week of vacation and went to Louisiana to care for her. That was pre-Mason and I was still working. We went back and forth to her chemo and radiation appointments all week. It was so hard to see her like that but I treasure that week as much as any in my life. We spent a lot of time talking about the past and about the future. I knew then that Brent and I were within a year of trying to get pregnant and she was so excited for me. She always loved having babies around. I think my cousin Hope's daughter Kayla was her favorite great-grandchild, although she would have denied having a favorite. Hope now has twin boys only a month or two older than Harper, Mamaw would have been tickled about that because she was an identical twin. She adored Tyler and I know my little guys would have been just as precious to her.

In closing I just want to say with a heavy heart, Happy Birthday Mamaw. I love you and miss you. Thank you for all the memories.