Dear Grandma,
Eight years ago you left us so unexpectedly. One day you were here then you were gone. I stood at the Harvest Supper this year at Chapel and tried to remember what we discussed on that last time we saw each other. I don’t remember. I’m sure it was what was happening at the time and probably was small talk rather than deep and meaningful but I’m sure whatever it was, was probably important at the time.
About a fortnight ago, this photo from my graduation pictures came up on Facebook to remind me it was nine years since I graduated. You didn’t want to be in the pictures but we caught you in the background of one of the pictures. It’s kind of fuzzy but it’s the last photo I had taken with you even if not intentional so it’s important.
A couple of days ago I tried to tally up the events that have happened in the last eight years. The fact that four of your six grandchildren are now married and one is engaged. The fact that Uncle J tied the knot in the end and you and Grandad gained two step-grandchildren. (Yep he had fun fitting that all into the family tree!)
Then there’s the fact that you’d be a Great-Grandma. It sort of started by becoming a Foster Great Grandma. I think at that point the idea of having a twelve year old “great-grandchild” would have made you comment how you’re “too young to be a Great Grandma”. Now you’ve got two Great Grandsons and a third Great Grandbaby is on the way. He or she is due early next year and I’d imagine that you’d be knitting like your fingers were on fire making booties and baby cardigans and things like that. I think you’d probably finish one project then be casting on the next even before the “dust settled” so to speak. When we found out Jaxon was on the way I wanted to tell you so badly. You’d have been so excited.
Both Richard and I moved into our own respective houses and only this week asked “how did we end up so grown up?”
I tried to tally up other things but some just made me sad while others got me a bit mad. I imagine if you were still here heads would have been banged together or something like that. Certainly there would have been telling off that’s for sure.
So yeah, eight years have been and gone. It doesn’t seem that long until you realise what’s happened since and you haven’t been here to take part.
We miss you.
Han x
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I started this post on Facebook but it was getting too long. You can read two of the posts I wrote at the time here and here.
