In Loving Memory

I remember it as if it had happened yesterday.  A year ago today, we were at my mother-in-law's house having dinner with her and her friends.  I heard my phone ring but thought it would be rude to answer, so I let it go.  I knew it was my mom calling and figured I could call her back when we were on our way home.  A few minutes later, my phone rang again.  "Really mom?"  I thought, again not rushing to pick up the call.

Dessert was served, brownies topped with whipped cream and berries.  Yum!  As my taste buds enjoyed the sweet fruit, I could once again hear my mom's ring tone start to play in my purse for a third time.  The sinking feeling hit me.  Something wasn't right.  As tactfully as possible, I excused myself from the table, stepped outside and called my mom back.

Feeling like I'd just been hit with a ton of bricks, I somehow knew what she was going to say before she even said it.  Gram was gone.  My friend, my confidant, my cheerleader, my teacher, my Grandma.  Gone in the blink of an eye.

Choking back the sobs and holding in the tears I returned to the table, the sweet berries now tasteless.  Life would never be quite the same again.

There isn't a day that goes by that I don't think of Gram.  I can't tell you how many times on my lunch break I've thought "I'll just give Grandma a quick call" only to realize that she's not there to answer.

No longer will my day be brightened by her smiling face or my heart be lightened by her delightful whistling - Gram was the best whistler.  I will never see her old, wrinkled yet skillful fingers dance across the piano keys as I watch memorized.  The list of no longers could go on forever.

Today marks one year that we've been without our dearly loved Gram.  But she lives on in our hearts.  Each member of her family has a piece of her, a characteristic of her, or a love for something that she loved.  As long as we hold tight to the pieces of her that she left with each of us, she'll never really be completely gone.  She will always be missed but never be forgotten.

Gram on the left with her two sisters

In loving memory of Marcia Jane Powell Eddins