Remembering Grandma Lucy . . .

I was cleaning some things today and stumbled upon a treasure.  Grandma Lucy is my husband’s mother’s mother.  She was such a wonderful woman.  She always had a smile on her face.  She was so kind and loving.

We camped through the summer at a lake near Grandma Lucy’s home.  Wes had to work and would come to the campgrounds at night.  I would take the children in to visit Grandma from time to time while Wes was working.  The first thing she did was to make sure that everyone had something to eat if they needed and always, always gave the children ice cream and then they were off to the play room.  We never needed anything to eat, but Grandma always wanted to make sure that if you were hungry, she fed you.  Asking if you wanted to eat was always the first thing she would ask! The children always were excited about the ice cream, though!  That was never turned down.

One time when we were there, Shelby was upset because her cat had passed away.  It was a black and white cat named Oreo.  Grandma had a black beanie baby cat named Licorice.  She kept it on a red pillow that was like fur.  She gave the cat and the pillow to Shelby and told her it was so that she could have a friend.  What a sweet thing to do.  She was always doing such sweet things for the children.  Visits with Grandma Lucy were always so nice!  She was always full of smiles and laughter. When we had the holiday dinners at her home, I would always help with the dishes and we had the best of conversations at the sink.  I sure miss her!

My treasure today was what my husband, Wes,  had said at her funeral.  I found the paper that he had written it out on. I am going to share that.

“All of us grandchildren and great-grandchildren have special memories of Grandma from Thanksgiving noodles to mostaccioli at Christmas.  That was great cooking! I personally remember when I was young and thirsty, drinking that glass of water that held her false teeth! That was not very good.  But, the thing I remember best was Grandma’s tolerance.  She was all of the time smiling and joking when I would take something apart knowing full and well that I wouldn’t get it back together.  I tried, but usually always failed.  But that did not discourage me or grandma.  Next trip back I’d find something else to take apart and she’d smile and laugh when I couldn’t get it back together again.

Just like the Lord smiles when we try to do something in our own strength. It can’t be done. Phillipians 4:13 says, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”  John 14:1 says, “Let not your heart be troubled, you believe in God believe also in me.  My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.”

So with Jesus helping us we can be assured that Grandma is in her eternal mansion in heaven and if we all put our trust in Jesus, we will someday join her there.”

Wow!  I am so glad that I found that today!

I do not know how some of us are so stupid as to drink that “denture water”, but when he shared his story with me when we met, I, too, had done the same thing, but with my mother’s!  Yuck!  I never, ever drank from a glass that was sitting around again.  I have a friend whose husband did the same thing.  Are we stupid or what?  I guess we could feel better saying desperate.  Haha.  I know I was choking at the time and was trying to drink water from my hands and how awesome that a glass of water happened to be there in my time of need?  Gross!

Anyway, another story about Wes taking everything apart. .. Grandma Lucy would always laugh and tell us of different things he would take apart.  One day, she got up and went into another room and came out carrying something and handed it to Wes.  She said something like, “Here, you can have this.  You might as well, you did get it back together but it still does not work.  Perhaps you can take it home and try again. What a laugh we all had.  Below is the picture of what she gave us.  We have it on a shelf in our living room.

It will remain on our shelf.  It is a treasure from a very treasured Grandmother.  We love and miss you Grandma Lucy.  Thank you for being you!