a heritage

I saw her the day that she passed away. I had only been home for a week. I was sleepy after church and a big dinner but I went to the senior citizen's home with my parents, the Sunday afternoon ritual. I saw her sleeping on the bed, her breath quick and shallow but her face pleasant. It was always pleasant. Even though she may not have known who I was, she always had a big smile for me when I was home to visit. I touched her hand and gave her a kiss on the forehead just before we left, tears stinging my eyes. 

Mostly, her funeral was a beautiful celebration of her life. Tears of sadness and loss were present but with every word that was spoken, there was hope. It was clear that she was a loving, godly woman. In life, she always wore a smile on her face, and was always open to her family and friends. It’s true, I don’t ever remember her being upset.

My best memories of her are mainly from childhood, as Alzheimer’s took over in the last few years. 

Memories of summertime, when our family would unite around her birthday, going to the park and having a bbq. Memories of little visits to her house while walking home in July, just to drop in and say hi, Nan always offering a candy from her infamous candy dish. 

Memories of gatherings at Christmas, getting together as many of the family that was around, enjoying a delicious home cooked meal. Filling up the cozy living room, sitting wherever you could to watch her open up her many gifts around her little tree. 

What was evident, was her kindness and warmth, her love for and desire to be surrounded by family, even though words may have been few. That testimony rang true to her final breath. That’s incredibly inspiring to me.

If there was ever a lady that I should be proud of knowing, it is my nan. She left us with a legacy, a heritage and a hope for better things to come.