Geez… I don’t even know where to begin. Grandma Betty Lou babysat me as an infant and played a huge role in raising me and shaping my life. I spent a great deal of time with her during the first decade of my life and even lived with her for extended periods of time. I have many memories of her, but some of the ones that stick out most are how she would never let me go to school unless my homework was done; she would fill a cup of skim milk to the brim and make sure I drank it all; she used to punish Tina and I in what now seems to be some of the most comical ways (we were a handful, more often than not); she would make odd meals, such as mashed potatoes and spinach (what Tina was eating when we went to her house in the middle of the night when my mom was in labor with Shyanne); she loved to sing and tell stories about her life. I only remember her driving once in all the time I knew her, and that was scary even as a kid. She would also fib to us to get us to eat food we didn’t care for. For example, to get us to eat liver, she would tell us it would make the hair at the nape of our necks curly (not sure why this was so appealing to us). One time, when asked why she didn’t drink milk, she told us it was because it made her hair grow too fast. She had her hair pinned up (I imagine), drank some milk and next thing you know, her hair was really long. Tina and I also made up a song called “It all started when Grandma farted” (she did that a lot). I won’t share the lyrics with you now, just know it’s funny.
One of the funniest memories I have (sorry Tina), is a time she was watching us at Bally’s Gym when she worked in the childcare area. We were misbehaving and she was trying to catch us to punish us. Tina ran past her a couple times and when Grandma tried but missed to snatch her ponytail, Tina smirked at her “Oh, catch me by hair eh?”. Well, Tina ran past her again and Grandma did just that! She was able to grab Tina’s long ponytail as she ran by and she was yanked back in midair. Still makes me chuckle to this day.
I am very fortunate and grateful to have had her in my life and not sure what type of person I would have become if she wasn’t. She will always hold a special place in my heart and her memory will forever be cherished. Knowing that she’s in a better place and no longer in pain, is the only thing making the loss of her bearable.
Love you Grandma, fly high with the angels!