Photo Story Friday

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek There's no way I can post just one photo of this amazing woman. So, you're getting three, and you're gonna have to like it ;) Proceed with Caution: Long winded-ness ahead. This is Grammie. She is my husband's 89-year-old grandmother. She is nothing short of magnificent. I am not able to tell just one story about her because she has made such a huge impact on me in the 9 1/2 years I have known her. I know that she will not be around forever, and when she does go, I want the world to know how much she meant to me. I remember when Zac and I started dating. I called him one day and he said, "I'll call you right back, I am on the phone with my grandma." I was thinking, "What? He talks to his grandmother?? Growing up, I had NO relationship with either of my grandmothers and the idea was so foreign to me. So, imagine my surprise when he called me back TWENTY minutes later, saying, "Oh, sorry I just got off the phone with her. We talk about 3 times a week." Whoa, what on EARTH would anyone want to talk to their grandmother about for THAT long?? And three times a week? I was beginning to think this guy was gonna be a dud. A few months went by, and Zac wanted to introduce Brandon and me to his grandmother. Zac was a bit scared since Grammie was 80 and her only grandson was dating some chick with a kid. I was so nervous, because if he was scared, then there HAD to be a reason (I soon figured out that Zac is quite the over-reactor). We walked in and Grammie hugged me and hugged Brandon and she was just ecstatic to meet us. She sat us down and wanted to know everything about us. I knew at once what it felt liked to be welcomed with open arms. And I knew at once that I wanted this woman to be MY grandmother. She reminded me of the grandmother on 'Happy Gilmore.' Grammie had a hard adult life, but you'd never know it. She takes everything with stride. Her husband left her and her two boys when the oldest was about 5. Grammie was a single mother and she never, ever dated again. She knew that her job was to care for her boys and not let anyone else get in the way of that. She did a wonderful job, and her boys are now taking care of her. The respect they have for their mother is admirable. This is just a little teeny piece of Grammie, but there is SO MUCH MORE. I am sure I will share more about her, but for now, since I am tearing up already, this is gonna have to do it. I will say that I am a better person for knowing this amazing woman. I tell my husband all the time, " I only married you for your grandmother." He thinks it's great. You know what's even better? Now, I have a Grammie that I talk to three times a week.