Goodbye Grandma (8/7/2022) (PERSONAL)

🙌 𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐓 𝐈𝐍 𝐏𝐄𝐀𝐂𝐄 𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐌𝐀 🙌

You lived a beautiful 90 years. ❤️

You taught me care. When I stayed over at your house as a child, I would always ask you to scratch my back before going to sleep. Something I’d even ask my arms and legs be scratched too. And even if you were tired, you still did them! 😅

You taught me reverence. You were a devout Catholic; I was a rebellious Atheist, although I never told you. Regardless, I learned how you became devout after meeting Grandpa. I learned the reason you adopted so many kids was because you believed it was your Christian duty. Put simply, I learned it was because of your faith that you were such a strong woman. 🙏

You taught me unconditional love. When I decided to take an unconventional route with my life, you were the first to support me. When I decided to take more risks with my life, you were the first to accept me. You had concerns, but you were still the first to give me the psychological space I needed to take the leap. It paid off, from my weight loss to my personal growth to my accumulated wisdom. I couldn’t have done these things without your blessing. 🙌

Most importantly, you gave me a life. 👤

Had you never adopted Mom as a sick baby, had you never supported her through her heart surgery, had you never endured long-suffering for the sake of your kids after Grandpa passed away, I wouldn’t be here. 👶

It’s because of you that I’m alive, literally and figuratively. I wouldn’t be half the man I am today without every contribution you made to me in this life. 💯

If there was any good that came out of COVID, it was that I got to spend the last 2 years of your life closer to you. Because of the Dementia, I didn’t know when it was going to be “the last time”. So I was more present, to support you, hug you, and treat each “goodbye” as if it was. I have no regrets. 🙂

While I had the privilege of knowing you for 30 years, so many parts of you will continue to live on in me. I promise. ❤️

.

𝘌𝘤𝘤𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘴 12:7 — “𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘴 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴, 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘎𝘰𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘨𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘪𝘵.” 🙌