I thought about you today...has it really almost been eight years tomorrow when you left this earth?
I will never forget the night you went to be with God in Heaven, my heart felt so broken into two. You were my person. The one I could always call and spend hours on the phone with, talking about school, game shows, how much you hated the Cubs and Sammy Sosa, or about how much my daddy was always aggravating me (and then you never missed a beat getting onto him). I cannot imagine what my life would have been without you in it, and I am so blessed that I got to spend twenty-seven years with you. I wish my girls had gotten to know you like I did. I wish you could spoil them the way you spoiled me.
I could talk for hours about all the memories I have with you. But I will just relive a few for now...
All the mornings you would come pick us up in your red Thunderbird (even though you could barely reach the pedals or see over the dash) and you would take us to Sears and then to Dairy Queen. And boy, how you loved to tell everyone the story (even when I was well into my twenties) of me standing on top of the chairs at DQ and screaming "Whew, it's hot in here, must be an eagle in the atmosphere", then I crawled under the table, beat red with embarrassment. I can still hear your voice and laughter as you recall and share that story.
I remember every single Christmas, you would give us grandkids a brown paper bag with fruit in it. And every birthday we got a card with cash. And you always had RC Colas, Dr Pepper, and cold mini Reese's and Almond Joys in your fridge. You made the best fried chicken I ever tasted (still to this day no one tops yours) and you made tamales that everyone raved about, but since I was a picky eater, you always had me a pot of spaghetti ready instead.
When I got older and could drive, I would come visit you and we would watch the game show network together. You always had a meal ready to feed me, and if you didn't, you would whip one up without hesitation. I usually ended falling asleep on your floral brown couch because it was so peaceful just being with you (the one every family had in the 80's). And when I moved away to college, I couldn't wait to come home to visit. I would pull up in that gravel drive and you would come running outside to meet me, and every single time, it never failed "Hey Hon." We would go to Wimpy's for a tenderloin sandwich and grocery shopping at E.W. James and Dollar General. You were always so proud to tell everyone, this is my granddaughter and she goes to school in Murfreesboro. You would buy out the shelves, send me back up I-40 to Middle Tennessee with a car loaded down of everything I could need and more. And before I would leave, you would sneak me cash because you didn't want Papaw to see you (this became a trend, you were infamous for slipping cash). I still have the cards you mailed me with your sweet little notes and a book a stamps.
And you best never even think of messing with your family. I will never forget you telling off several people for me and sticking up for me. Because you loved your family unconditionally and you would go to battle for them, without a doubt.
You were one of the very best women I have ever known. You had a life full of difficulties, starting as a child and into adulthood. You went through things that most people couldn't handle. But you fought with dignity, strength, grace and love. You loved God. You never gave up on people. You gave unlimited chances. I look at your life and I hope to be a 1/10 of the woman, the mother, the grandmother and the great-grandmother you were. I hope my family looks to me the way we looked to you.
I thought about you today...The truth is I think about you every day, multiple times a day and my heart misses you with every beat. Thank you for loving me. Until the day we meet again.....
I will never forget the night you went to be with God in Heaven, my heart felt so broken into two. You were my person. The one I could always call and spend hours on the phone with, talking about school, game shows, how much you hated the Cubs and Sammy Sosa, or about how much my daddy was always aggravating me (and then you never missed a beat getting onto him). I cannot imagine what my life would have been without you in it, and I am so blessed that I got to spend twenty-seven years with you. I wish my girls had gotten to know you like I did. I wish you could spoil them the way you spoiled me.
I could talk for hours about all the memories I have with you. But I will just relive a few for now...
All the mornings you would come pick us up in your red Thunderbird (even though you could barely reach the pedals or see over the dash) and you would take us to Sears and then to Dairy Queen. And boy, how you loved to tell everyone the story (even when I was well into my twenties) of me standing on top of the chairs at DQ and screaming "Whew, it's hot in here, must be an eagle in the atmosphere", then I crawled under the table, beat red with embarrassment. I can still hear your voice and laughter as you recall and share that story.
I remember every single Christmas, you would give us grandkids a brown paper bag with fruit in it. And every birthday we got a card with cash. And you always had RC Colas, Dr Pepper, and cold mini Reese's and Almond Joys in your fridge. You made the best fried chicken I ever tasted (still to this day no one tops yours) and you made tamales that everyone raved about, but since I was a picky eater, you always had me a pot of spaghetti ready instead.
When I got older and could drive, I would come visit you and we would watch the game show network together. You always had a meal ready to feed me, and if you didn't, you would whip one up without hesitation. I usually ended falling asleep on your floral brown couch because it was so peaceful just being with you (the one every family had in the 80's). And when I moved away to college, I couldn't wait to come home to visit. I would pull up in that gravel drive and you would come running outside to meet me, and every single time, it never failed "Hey Hon." We would go to Wimpy's for a tenderloin sandwich and grocery shopping at E.W. James and Dollar General. You were always so proud to tell everyone, this is my granddaughter and she goes to school in Murfreesboro. You would buy out the shelves, send me back up I-40 to Middle Tennessee with a car loaded down of everything I could need and more. And before I would leave, you would sneak me cash because you didn't want Papaw to see you (this became a trend, you were infamous for slipping cash). I still have the cards you mailed me with your sweet little notes and a book a stamps.
And you best never even think of messing with your family. I will never forget you telling off several people for me and sticking up for me. Because you loved your family unconditionally and you would go to battle for them, without a doubt.
You were one of the very best women I have ever known. You had a life full of difficulties, starting as a child and into adulthood. You went through things that most people couldn't handle. But you fought with dignity, strength, grace and love. You loved God. You never gave up on people. You gave unlimited chances. I look at your life and I hope to be a 1/10 of the woman, the mother, the grandmother and the great-grandmother you were. I hope my family looks to me the way we looked to you.
I thought about you today...The truth is I think about you every day, multiple times a day and my heart misses you with every beat. Thank you for loving me. Until the day we meet again.....
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