Grandma, you are loved and missed!

Today was the day, the day our family was able to gain a “little’ bit of closure.  Today is the day our family gathered, whether in person or in spirit, and said our final goodbyes to a woman we all love and will forever miss.

Today as she was laid to rest in her final resting place, we are able to find peace in knowing that someday we will be together again.  We have peace knowing that she is with her husband, parents, grandparents, several of her siblings, and grandson again.  We have peace in knowing that she is up in heaven cooking bacon for everyone and laughing at the silliest things.  I imagine she is enjoying seeing the faces of the loved ones that we have all lost over the years.

Today as the family gathered, I am sad that I was not able to be there in person but know that I was with you in spirit.  Know that you ALL mean the world to me, that I love each of you in your own special way and that you all are always in my heart.

These pictures are from the last visit the kids and I had with Grandma. I love these pictures because they are  of how I will always remember her and I am thankful to have these pictures to go with all of my memories.

For those of you whom my earlier words touched, I am posting them again because although they were my words, thoughts, and feelings, I realize that they were also symbolic and true for many of you.  I am honored that a few of you attempted to find these words so that they could be read at the memorial as I know how much she meant to each and every one of us!

Heaven gained an angel, to some of you she was a friend, to others a mother, sister, aunt, cousin, grandmother, great-grandmother and even great-great- grandmother and many more special relationships. Although her life was never easy, she put one foot in front of the other and continued to live her life.  Although she suffered much heartache in life, the one thing that always remained true was that she loved her family with all of her heart and because of this, she is deeply loved and missed by those of us fortunate enough to call her family.  Whether it was playing He-Man or Wonder Woman, cooking a hundred pounds of bacon, helping cook enough food at thanksgiving to feed the entire family, spending the evening at the drive in movie, the massive Easter egg hunts or giggling for hours on end while were supposed to be sleeping when she would come to visit, I am comforted by these many precious memories during this time of immense sadness. With the many medical afflictions facing her in her "young" life, I feel fortunate to have had her on the earth as long as we did.  Rest in Peace Grandma, I will take comfort in knowing you are pain free and enjoying visiting with the family members who left this earth before you.  Give them hugs for me and eat an extra bacon sandwich for me!