Grandma

Today marks the 1 year that my Grandma passed away in El Dorado, CA.

I really miss her.


Growing up, she was the only Grandma I had since my Mom's mother passed away shortly after I was born.

I look back on the times, when she would always have this huge smile on her face when she saw me and called me by my given name "Matthew!"

She did the things Grandmas typically do like make cookies, buy us ice cream off the the neighborhood ice cream truck, make us stuff like afghans, and give you the typical "Grandma gifts" that were hand-painted ceramics of animals, characters or what not.

My Grandma was the wife of a Naval Officer as well as the love of my Grandfather for over 50+ years!
She was the home-maker that raised my Dad and Toni, and well as the Grandmother of me, my sister Amy and my 2 cousins, Seth & Justin.

It was hard on her when we lost my Grandad in 1996, for I got a call from a longtime family friend telling me my Grandfather just got rushed to the hospital.

As I got there, she was there with my neighbors and she ran to me crying.

(Hope I'm not getting anyone bummed here...)

Anyways, my Aunt Toni (My Dad's sister) moved her to Santa Barbara (where she lived at the time) to be closer to her.

I didn't mind, but it did suck having to drive 2 hours to Santa Barbara to see my G-ma, than less than 5 minutes to drive before in Long Beach.

Then when Toni sold her house in 2004 and moved her and G-ma to El Dorado, CA., that was an 8+ hour drive!!

I had some hard/mixed feelings about the reason 'why' she kept taking Grandma farther and farther away...

Toni called me one night to tell me that Grandma wasn't doing too good, and that I needed to come up, which I started to panic and got time off work (as well as Darcy) to drive all the way to No. Cal to see her in the hospital.

When I got there, I walked passed her room, glimpsing at my Grandma, and I couldn't bear to see her like that.

I walked outside and lost it.

I took me a hour or so, to calm down and get the courage to go in and see her. Seth and Darcy we both helpful in calming me down, to get me inside and that was extremely hard to do!!

I'm glad I did it though.

The next day when we went to see her, she passed away.

A part of my heart died as well.

The funeral was just another 'family reunion'.

I lit a candle next to a picture of my Grandma today, to keep her memory in the house.

I am a bit sad, but I know she is with my Dad and Grandad, as she kept telling me she wanted to be with the most before she left to No. Cal.

I miss you and love you Grandma.