It's June. My twin step-daughters' birthday is next week. My friend Madeliene celebrates her birthday in June. Fathers' Day is next Sunday. And my mother-in-law's birthday was June 26th.
This lady was one of the most special people I've had the pleasure of knowing. She came from Italy as a child. She married and raised three children and, later, a granddaughter. She loved her children and her children's spouses, a ton of grandkids and great-grandkids and still had room in her heart for more. Neighbors and friends and their children all knew her simply as Grandma Julie.
She was a best friend to me. She taught me things that my own mother didn't know and so couldn't teach me. From her I learned to not be afraid to love and to not be afraid to show my feelings. I learned these things in time to pass them on to my children. My in-laws, my husband, and I used to go camping together and while the men were off doing whatever, she and I would cook, play cards, and take walks, and laugh. We enjoyed each other. She taught me to crochet and taught me tips and tricks to make cooking simpler among other things. She didn't swim and was afraid of the water. She'd stand in the shallow end of the pool and would get furious when Grandpa tried taking her toward the deep end or even away from the pool's edge.
This family celebrated everything and anything and congregated at Grandma & Grandpa's home. Grandma and I cooked, served, and then sat out on the patio and drank wine together while we let everyone else clean up. We watched stupid movies together, did jigsaw puzzles. A favorite pastime was a trip to Pic' & Save, the discount store that is now Big Lots, where we might spend 2 hours and buy nothing or spend a half an hour and $5 each and come home with absolute treasures. We shared secrets. I knew I could tell her anything and it wouldn't go any further ... and I did.
Grandpa passed away in 2002 and her eldest son, my husband, in 2004. Grandma went to join them last year. I loved her very much and I miss her.
This sounds very familiar. Is it a repost of an earlier one? In any event, it certainly brings back fond memories to me too! Hope all is well and the Holidays were good to you! Keeping you in my thoughts and prayers. Hugs!
ReplyDeleteMartie, you're right, I posted this last June. Don't know how you stumbled on it now. Things have been a wee bit chaotic and I just haven't been posting. Thanks for the nudge, I've missed the porch rocker & sharing from it. You're in my prayers as well. Thanks!
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