Thanks, Grandma

Sometimes I look around and realize how big this world really is, and then I notice how small I feel in comparison. Not that I mind being small, just that it's a bit overwhelming to realize how many individuals there are in this world. Am I not complicated enough as one person, even if I do consider myself simple at that?

And then I look at what a big difference a few people have made and continue to make in my small & simple life. Like my grandma Burton. She passed away this morning after almost 97 years of going strong in this world. What an amazing lady. She introduced me to so much of what I've loved and appreciated in life. Like bowling. And Whiffle ball. And the Spaghetti Factory. And Swedish hotcakes. And family. ...Mainly family.

When I was a kid, my dear grandma never gave me reason to believe there was anything to her life but being there for and loving her grandchildren. She seldom missed a softball or basketball game or drama performance or any other kind of event in which her grandchildren were involved (and that's saying quite a bit with how active some of us were). Whenever we performed we just looked out into the audience or crowd for "the lady with the big white hair," and there she was, cheering us on.

Well, If her main objectives with her grandchildren were to help us know we were loved and cared for, to support us, to enable us to know and develop a greater love for our cousins, and to provide us with countless happy memories, then Mission accomplished, grandma. But you did far more than this. You taught me to hold fast to what I believe in. You taught me to make family and friends the top priorities in my life. I learned from you the rich blessing people are in life, and a little bit of how to lead, and how to support, and I learned independence, as well as (by your bad example since you were no good at it) that it's ok to receive help as well. And I learned a little bit about the great quality of optimism. And there was more. And as Aunt Val pointed out to me today, the lessons don't end here. I'll continue to learn from the legacy you've left, and the close relationship we've been blessed to have.

In ways, saying goodbye to my grandma has been far more difficult than I imagined. I know it's not over, I'll just miss her for the time being. It's hard to realize I'll never hear her cheerful voice again in this life. But in other ways it has been easier than I expected. There is an abiding peace in knowing that both my grandma and I worked on our relationship with each other, and that it’s not over here. I'll always treasure the sleepovers at her place as a kid and the many outings she took us on. I 'll value the weekly dinners and calls to Val we made during the years I lived in Sugarhouse. I'll treasure the 70's gold and orange chairs and the table she gave me to thank me for those times. And I'll treasure every other memory I've had with her throughout my life.

Thanks, Grandma. In this vast world, I'm grateful that you have been such an integral part of my small and simple life. God be with you till we meet again.