Things happen in life... you wonder how can there be so much joy one day and so much sorrow less than a week later. My wife gave me a book for christmas called a A Fathers Guide to Raising a Son. It is one of those pocket books that has little sayings or quotes, only one per page. It's fun to open it randomly and just read a quote. The day I got it I opened it up and the first quote I read was "little boys always love thier grandfathers, no one is sure why." ... grandmothers too! When I was born I was the first grandchild. It was a common fact that I could do no wrong in mamaws eyes. She always smiled for me no matter the situation and even as the years got up there I believed I was her favorite. Maybe she made every one of her grandchildren and her great grandchildren feel this way but no matter, because I knew it was me. She died today around 6pm. I did get to see her today and I am very grateful for that. I did not get to tell my other grandparents goodbye.
Around September she had a stroke and had to be put into a home. She had some damage from the stroke made it inevitable. She was amazingly resilient though. Even as of Christmas day she was talking to me same as always. Every Sunday short of one I managed to get up there and see her and most of those days with Dade in tow. She really liked to see Dade. Despite her propensity to get names mixed up she always managed to recognize Dade and I and make us feel better even though she was the one who needed cheering up or relief, it's funny how (great)grandparents do that. My pawpaw, her husband, has been dead for more than a few years now and even still I cannot think of one without the other. Whether it was mamaw getting me my eggnog at christmas(see last years christmasish blog) or pawpaw picking berries or both of them taking me fishing, which was more like a great adventure at that age it's the way I will remember them, as a them. Now they are them again. I am truly happy for her! I hope he's happy too. I've always regreted not being able to have pawpaw meet Dade, now he can hear all about him first hand. Mamaw we love you and will miss you. ...Sammy
