Dear Grandma (Grandmama-Lottie as I used to call you when I was little)
There is so much I want to say to you. I miss you so much!! You left us early Sunday morning and I am still in shock. I am glad that I got to come see you in the hospital last week. Even though you were in and out of sleep for most of the time, I know you know I was there. I remember that you smiled when Geanette announced that me and Ericka had come to see you. Ericka even heard you laugh when we told you we were working on getting Geanette out of your room so you could have some peace and quiet!
You always were a feisty one! Even when you woke up for a bit in the hospital, you pulled out the feeding tube and told Natalie that you were ready to go home and told her to bring the car around to come get you. I heard you even tried to get out of the hospital bed! That's my grandma. You were always a young woman. Every year on your birthday you told me that you were turning 18 and that I was some old woman. This year you told me that you were turning 38 and told me that I "better not turn those numbers around!". I love that I have your same feisty-ness and young spirit.
You always kept others in mind. You'd cook for other people when they couldn't cook for themselves. You even let others live in your house until they got back on their feet. You raised your kids, their kids, and in some cases, their kid's kids. You never asked for a cent in return. I know that you are in heaven, reaping your reward for a job well done!
Even while you were in the hospital, we went by the house to get some pictures for you to look at. I was so amazed that you kept every card, picture, and letter that anyone ever sent you. I even saw my Master's Graduation Program. You had highlighted my name and I was proud to be your grandaughter. I heard that you even showed the program to your dentist because you were so proud of your granddaughter, the Computer Doctor. I remember you telling me before that all you wanted was for your children (or "chillens" as you'd say) to go to school and get an education, because you were not able to. Grandma, I hope I make you proud. I wanted to graduate next winter but I started making plans to graduate the following Spring. I thought it would be tooooo cold and tooooo icy for my grandma to be walking around Michigan. Even better, when I get my PhD, you'll have a bird's eye view from heaven.
Grandma, I love your sense of humor and your laugh. Whenever I came to visit, you always made me laugh. Even when I tried to get your famous Sweet Potato Pie recipe, you'd make me turn my head to the wall as you made it, so I couldn't get the secrets. One day, you even pretended to give me to recipe but you'd add in things like "Wash your right hand, Wash your left hand ...", just to stall giving me the recipe! Never using any measurements, you'd give me the recipe. Grandma, exactly what is a finger of margarine? Even when I came to visit, you'd pull a pie out of nowhere just for ME to take back to school with me. I shared your pie with friends at college and they loved it!
Even when I was little, you would have my back when I thought my mom was being unfair. I'd come in and say something like "grandma, my mom won't let me blah blah blah ..." and you'd ask "Do you want me to give her a whooping?". For some reason, at 10 years old, telling on my own mom to her mom was hilarious to me. The thought of her getting a whooping was restitution for all the whoopings I had received. You'd call her in and tell her to treat me right. I really enjoyed that. Plus you would always tell my mom "I never told you that you were grown yet". I took that to mean that my mom couldn't tell me what to do.
Grandma, who is going to fix Grandaddy his "bear bait" or "meals" as you used to call it? I think we will need to get him some cooking lessons. Who is going to sell necessities at the flea market every Saturday, hot or cold, rain or shine?
Some fond memories I have, that I never want to forget:
- One day I asked you to keep the iron on so I could iron my pants. You told me that I didn't need to iron my pants because I wear them so tight!
- When I was little, you would always have me sing "Splish Splash, I was taking a bath".
- When I was little, you bought my first bed and every time I saw you, I made sure I said "Thank you grandmama for the bed".
- The way I spent hours trying to get you to pronounce Newark, because you said it like "Nook".
- Our joke about having a skirt that was "all the way up to here" and then you'd point to your ankles.
- The story you'd ALWAYS tell about how you were trying to make peanut butter and jelly by spreading the jelly on one piece of bread and then trying to spread the peanut butter on top of it. Then the twins (about 5 at the time) had to tell you to put the peanut butter on one slice and put the jelly on another. I've probably heard that story 100 times but you made me laugh every time.
- Anytime I would visit, you'd tell me not to leave anything because you'd sell it at the flea market. Better yet, while I was still wearing my clothes you'd tell me that you could make good money for it at the flea market, so I better not leave it.
-How you came all the way from New Jersey to Michigan for my Masters Graduation. My roommate (Angie) and I cooked for you and the family and you loved it! It was such a change - me cooking for you this time. You went on and on about it every time I talked to you. I wish I had one more chance to make it for you again.
Grandma, we love you and miss you. The family was crazy while you were here and we will probably be even crazier now that you're gone. Please put in a good word for me with Jesus. If St. Peter puts down his wings to rest, please don't sell them at the heaven flea market! Lastly, I just want to say that I hope I made you proud because I am proud to have you as a Grandma!
All my love,
Kyla
...ok . Then he starts asking me a bunch of questions like "Are you from here, Do you live here? etc". Then he says "Do you go to church in this town?" I said "No, not yet". He then does a complete 180, starts ignoring me and high tails it down the aisle on his scooter. All while I'm left asking myself if I just got played by a senior citizen in a Hoveround. 
I tell him my name is Keisha(fake name), and that I'll email him later. 
