A rock of strength and love, my grandmother left a lasting mark on my life. How she taught me, supported me, and told me stories made me the person I am today.
As a kid, I would sit and be enthralled as she told me stories of fun and kindness. She taught them important lessons while telling stories from her childhood, like the time she put frogs in her teacher’s desk. Through the good and bad times of life, her wise words stayed with me.
When my heart broke, she was there to calm me and show me the way. Along with her healing words, her hot chocolate and cookies helped me get better.
Before she died, Grandma told me I would clean her gravestone picture exactly one year after she died. It was an odd request, but I did what she asked.
While keeping my word, I found a note hidden under the picture. It took me to a prize in the woods, where I found a copper box with the most important news of my life: my mother was adopted.
Grandma’s letter, which she wrote with love and passion, told the world her deepest secret. But it also helped her remember the most important thing: “Love isn’t in blood, but choosing each other every day.”
My mother and I were both deeply affected by this news, but it also helped us better understand Grandma’s love. We picked her, and she picked us.
After the fact, I learned that Grandma’s love still affects every part of my life. I remember her through the songs I hum, the cookies I bake, and the stories I tell my kids.
Grandma Patty’s love changed, but it never went away. Everything we do, remember, and feel is infused with it. Her lessons about love, courage, and family are still with me and help me find my way forward.
Her spirit lives on, even though she isn’t with me in real life. It reminds me that love has no limits, not even those of blood or time.
