Every spring I plant pansies in memory of my grandma. She loved all flowers but certain ones were more special than others. Pansies being one of those. My maternal grandmother was the perfect picture of what a grandma should be.
Her life's story and challenges keep me aware that "hard times" do not have to define us nor stand in the way of living each day well.
At the age of twelve she lost her mother to suicide (most likely post-partem depression). This turn of events placed her in the role of raising an infant baby brother as well as caring for a widowed father. School went by the way and therefore she only received an eighth grade education.
This did not keep her from enjoying a good book and being exceptional when it came to math. She was smart about the necessary things that it takes to survive.
I would like to say life got easier for her but it did not...the depression hit, grandpa was out of work, the war came, she lost a child and then the baby brother she had raised also died at his own hand.
During this time she walked a mile to work and stood eight hours on an assembly line at a local pottery to put food on the table and a roof over their heads.
She was thirty when she gave birth to my mom. Because finances were tight; even though grandpa had found work, she remained employed for many more years.
By the time I came along her health had started to decline. This did not stand in her way though of growing beautiful flowers, sewing lovely clothes for me and my "Chatty Cathy" and cooking delicious dishes for whoever showed up to eat.
Grandma enjoyed life, she laughed a lot, and loved her family and friends. She was a great woman of faith and always shared her love for the Lord with others.
She was the best babysitter to my brother and I. She had a way of making everything fun and would keep us entertained for hours. As we grew up she was always a steady influence in our lives.
It has been 41 years since she went home to be with the Lord. The passing of time has not dimmed the wonderful memories of this special lady. I'm certain someday we will be enjoying a heavenly garden together. In the meantime I will keep planting pansies for her.
"She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness...Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all." Prov. 31:27 & 29 (NIV)
