All Saints Day

November 1, 2007 is an all saint's day I will likely not ever forget. This morning, my paternal great grandmother went home to meet Jesus.
I had the opportunity to reflect on her life, our relationship, and the impact she had on my spirituality tonight with my spiritual director. It was lovely and sad and warm and emotional. It was needed but dreaded. I felt drained but well.
As I was talking about "G.G." with my S.D. it occurred to me that she was the one who introduced me to God. She was the one who first taught me how to pray. She taught me the meaning of family, how to make bread & rolls & cookies. She taught me how to play solitaire.
She was a firery red head in her youth, married and had three daughters. She lived in Chicago while my dad was growing up then moved in with my grandmother in her later years. Recently she moved over to my great-aunt's where she was well taken care of until her final breath was taken. Aunt Babs said she went to sleep last night and never woke up. That fits her though. To die in her sleep. GG was a woman of peace. She embodied so many qualities of God: faithfulness, gentleness, kindness, long-suffering, patience, self-control...and the list goes on.
No more birthday parties for her. No more letters to write back and forth. No more cards for every holiday to my girls with a two dollar bill enclosed. No more.
I missed her last birthday this May because I was due to have my second baby three days later. I didn't get to say good-bye to her, nor her I.
I was asked to talk to her about how we can have closer on our relationship. How can I say good-bye when she's already gone?
I knew this day was coming, she wasn't really going to live forever. Although, she had me starting to believe it making it almost 6 months past her 104th birthday! She was so funny. She kept saying "This is my last birthday" for the last 15 years.
I love G.G. G.G. loved me. I have only fond & positive memories with my G.G. I was her favorite great grandchild. Along with all the others. We were all her favorite, although we didn't discover we shared that special spot with everyone else till much later in life.
She was a tiny woman. A pint sized irish fireball. I outgrew G.G.'s shoes in third grade!
She never drank anything but water (and maybe some tea). She never went to a hospital or doctor until she was in her 90s when she got a little bout of breast cancer and broke her hip. She had all her own teeth. She always wore her pearls. She always had her hair done. She was a lady. A firey lady. At least, that's how I remember her.
I miss her.