To live is Christ. To die is gain.

This has by far been the hardest year of my life and the worst thing happened Thursday morning.

My grandmother, Shirley, passed away from a very sudden, unexpected heartattack.

Let me start by telling you just how hard this is on my family and I.

Most grandparents you see at holidays. My grandparents are much, much more than that.

My grandmother (we called her granny), was the sweetest soul I've ever known. She reached out and tried to help whoever she knew, didn't know, it didn't matter to her. She loved people. She gave everything she had to make anyone happy and didn't expect anything in return.

She would call and talk about your life. Never a complaint about hers. She would just listen when you needed to talk and give you the best, moral advice she had. I've never met a person on this earth with such high moral standards.

She made friends with people at the grocery store. Complete strangers. She had love just pouring out of her. You could see in it her. You could see the love of Christ in her and flowing out of her to touch others.

She would always make sure everyone had their food before she would even sit down to eat.

I told her I wanted a crock pot so I could make pot roast. Two days later there was a crock pot and everything to make a roast at my house ready for me when I got home from work.

She never left my sister's side when she was in the hospital with cancer. never.

I told her I loved purple when I was seven. once. Up until the day she died, she remembered that and everything she bought me was purple if she could help it.

She stayed up all night before holidays wrapping, cooking and making sure everything was perfect so that we could have a beautiful, wonderful time. and we always did.

She was such a dancer. She sang karoke at our family reunion last year to baby got back while actually dancing some pretty hip moves.

She took in all the in laws as her own children, grandchildren, and even her friends were family to her.

If there is any indication of how powerful her love was and what a deep impact she had in people's life, this is it.Adam lived with both sets of his grandparents for some time. One of them even babysat him most of his childhood. And in the 6 years he's known my granny he says she was more of a grandmother to him than his own.


This is what my grandma was.
love.
loyalty.
beauty.
selfless.
genuine.
caring.
woman of God.

I could go on forever. She wouldn't want me to. She would want me to remember her but try, try hard to move on. And this is what I'm going to try and do for you granny.

Jonah won't go a day in his life without hearing about you or feeling your love in my heart.



I will never forget you granny. 11/13/1935-11/12/2009
You lived a beautiful life.