Granny

At about 10:30AM on December 23, 2001, my beloved Granny passed away.  She lost her battle to cancer.
Here is a copy of her obituary with, of course, our last names blacked out. (It's not super nice so you will have to excuse that part.)

I was 13 years old when she passed away. I had gone to see her multiple times during her last 3 months. My mom pretty much lived in Tampa those last 3 months as well.  By the time the doctors diagnosed (or admitted she had cancer, we are all convinced it was malpractice), it was too late. She had cancer of the bone marrow and it was in stage 4. No one comes back from that. Basically, these tumors ate her marrow so her bones started to disintegrate in the end. You could also see the tumors on her. It is a horrible way to die, as is all cancer.  She was graceful even in death though.  Her last three days, she hallucinated a lot, but in her "sane" moments, she could still quote countless Bible verses.


She was a remarkable woman. Ask anyone who met her. She never met a stranger and loved you no matter your history, sins, or mistakes.  She brought "strays" home for dinner all the time. She was all about family and they meant the world to her.  She was fiercely protective of them. She was something to be feared if you messed with her family or were disobedient.  When I say that, she didn't beat any of us or anything terrible, but you just knew not to disobey Granny. And if you messed with her family, she'd give you a tongue lashing that would take you two days to figure out she had reprimanded you because she did it so well.  Although she loved to watch old movies, she was much more about keeping the kids active. She took us to the thrift store, the beach, the park, anywhere that would allow us to be free to be kids.  She would sit outside and watch us play.  She would cook us delicious meals and her pantry was always packed with our individual favorite goodies.  The grandkids thought they were so cool because we got "midnight" snacks. Looking back, it was probably like 9PM, but we had no clue.  She was the grandmother and mother everyone dreams of having and every woman dreams of being. She loved with everything she had. Her life showed Christ in so many ways. She was deeply in love with her King and no one could doubt it. Her life and legacy shout what Jesus meant and who Jesus was in her life. She is the reason I became a Christian. Her heart for Him is what started it all for Jesus coming into this family.


I can still see all of us sitting at the table, munching on whatever we wanted. I can still remember bursting through her front door upon arriving from Atlanta and getting a huge hug and kiss from her. I can still feel the softness of her wrinkled hands and the smell of her lotion.  I can still remember sitting on her couch watching TV with her and Georgia Bell, her black and white kitty. I remember when I had a fever of 104.1 and she took me to the emergency room and took care of me. I remember falling out of the tree in her front yard and breaking my wrist. I was all scraped up and scared and her calmness and mastery of the situation was my strength. She ordered my cousins to help me out and took care of me again. I remember getting off the bus and her waiting for me everyday when she was visiting.  I remember the sound of her voice, with that sweet southern accent.  I remember so much of this woman and yet so little. I could hear stories of her life over and over again.  She lived such a fascinating and full life.  


Because of when she died, Christmastime reminds me of her. She died two days before Christmas and her funeral was the day after. It was a very hard Christmas that year.  It was the first Christmas I ever spent away from home. The whole family gathered in the Tampa area. This is the second Christmas I am spending away from home. This time it is for Popi, Granny's husband, no he hasn't passed away, but he is 85 and the years are catching up to him.  He asked that his family come together for Christmas this year and so most of us have gathered. It will be a Christmas to remember that is for sure. Christmastime in this family is bittersweet. However, this Christmas, although my momma can't spend it with hers, I sure am glad I get to spend Christmas with my momma.


Before I was born, Granny wrote me a card welcoming me into the world, letting me know how blessed and loved I would be. I found this card a few years ago after she had passed away. That card has rang true in my life for the past 22 years. Not only do I still feel my Granny's love and blessing in my life, but her legacy has impacted others who love and bless my life.


We all miss you, Granny, especially today. You, however, are celebrating Jesus' birth, heaven style, which I can only imagine, is one of the coolest things ever.