As I said before, I think of her often. There are many things that trigger memories of her. When my kids fight, I sometimes remember the way she would make me and my brothers resolve conflict - we had to sit in opposite corners of the room and make silly faces at each other until we were no longer mad at each other and we were laughing. The Sunbonnet Sue quilt she made me when I was 4 hangs on the wall in my daughter's room. Whenever I eat a fresh tomatoe right out of the garden, I think of her garden and how she had fresh sliced tomatoes on the table at every meal. When I see a picture, ceramic figure, or stuffed animal that is a mouse, especially at Christmas time, I think of her massive mouse collection. It started when she wrote a poem about Christmas with her family from the point of view of the mouse in the house. From then on, we all gave her mice whenever we found them.
There are many, many more things that make me think of her, but the strongest memories always seem to come from being with my children, even though she never got to meet them. All of my kids, but my boys in particular, have always loved for me to lay down in their beds with them and sing them to sleep. I have always loved to sing and have sang to all my children since they were born. I was not much of a lullaby singer, but I sang slow church/gospel songs to them. As I laid in bed with my youngest son yesterday trying to get him to take a nap, I was singing to him and had a very strong memory of my Granny. She used to always sing old hymns while she quilted or sitting on the porch shelling peas. Towards the end of her life, she was put in hospice due to the nature of her cancer. I went to visit her while she was there and sat by her bedside. I will never forget holding her hand and singing the hymns to her while she laid there with her eyes closed. Everytime I thought she was asleep and stopped singing, she would lift one eyelid and look at me in a way that said "Why did you stop?" and I would begin again. She was there for me my whole life, giving me love and other things I needed (and spoiled me with lots of things I didn't necessarily need!)...I'm so glad I could be there for her in her last moments on this earth. She was such a good, Godly woman - I know she is with our Father in heaven watching over us now.
I love you, Granny! Glad you're mine!
