Remembering

My grandmother passed away almost two years ago. The day my mom called me, I burst in to tears. She didn't have to tell me, because the night before I had a dream that she came to me to tell me goodbye. I couldn't figure out why she was saying goodbye. I hadn't seen her in years, since she was put in the nursing home center at the end of her life. I still don't know if this was a good thing, or not. I want to remember grandma as the always-smiling-lovely person that she was.
I was the first grandchild. A granddaughter, and BOY was I spoiled. She doted on me, taking me under her wing. She always stayed in my room when they came to visit, and I'd sleep on the floor, so grandma would be comfortable. I could do NO wrong. Don't get me wrong. I wasn't a perfect child, but in this womans eyes, I did no wrong. She was my strongest advocate, and one of my biggest supporters, no matter what I did.

My grandma LOVED Christmas. Everything about it. The lights, the snow, the gifts, the family time. She sparkled for months til and after about the holiday. That's probably where I got my love for it.

Recently, my mom, her only daughter, finally went through grandma's stuff, that she's had tucked throughout the house since her death. There was numerous boxes of christmas things. None of them especially expensive, or fancy, but nonetheless, special to her. My mom gave those things to me, to display. I will, this year. As I think of my families past, the love we shared with all our hearts....none of the gifts stuck out in my mind. What did stick out, and always will, was the special feeling of the love that my grandma gave me every holiday. I hope that some day, I'll be able to impart to my kids, that special love of the spirit of family, of love, of togetherness. It doesn't have to be fancy, expensive, or any of that. It just has to be about the memories that they'll tell their kids...someday.