last picture my dad took of his mom
My grandma passed away while I was in London in February. She had a great life, and she is dearly missed. Fortunately, I was able to attend her funeral and burial. My family asked me to say the eulogy (my first time). It was a tremendous honor, and I wanted to honor her by making these memories of her life available for others to read. That being said, without further ado, my grandma’s eulogy:
Hello, I’m Halley, Betty’s youngest granddaughter. Today, as we celebrate the life of this wonderful lady, I would like to share what my cousins and I will always cherish about her.
One thing we remember fondly is how she always signed her cards “Granny”, but I don’t think any of us ever actually called her that. To us, she was Grandma.
I’d like to explore this word a little more, this word that is so dear to our hearts: GRANDMA.
G: We will always remember her Gourmet cooking.
She made wedding cakes, birthday cakes, pancakes, mocha bars, lemon bars, caramels, ‘pink stuff’… She made ice cream with us from freshly-fallen snow… and… ‘she made the best mac and cheese known to man’! She also knew all our favorites and made sure we were well provided for.
R: We will always remember her Radiance.
Her smile and laughter are simply unforgettable. Her presence filled any room she was in, and her beautiful strength made her our hero. She truly bound us together with love and ‘made everything brighter’.
A: We will remember that she was Always Awake.
Staying the night at Grandma’s meant staying up late playing cards and dice. We were the first to fall asleep, especially if she had friends over. And yet, somehow, when we got up the next morning, Grandma would already be awake and have already made pancakes.
N: We will always remember her Nimble fingers.
It’s no secret: our grandma loved to sew. And she was quite the talented little bee! She made Halloween costumes for us and prom dresses that made us feel like ‘princess’es. Most of all, we’ll remember the quilts she made us 🙂 . To this day, they warm not only our bodies but also our hearts.
D: We will always remember her Directness.
From “You can go to sleep, you know” and “Well, if jumping on the trampoline is hurting you then STOP JUMPING ON THE TRAMPOLINE!” to “Your name is spelled wrong” and “Well, we’ve been waiting”… Grandma has always spoken her piece. She’s busted our parties, and she’s rolled her eyes at us, but we know it’s because she cared.
M: We will always remember her Mothering.
Grandma had a big family to take care of, but her house and arms were open to everyone. She was a true matriarch, and an amazingly warm and welcoming woman. She even had presents for our friends at Christmas! Grandma’s mothering didn’t end with her nurturing; she also taught us the essentials: sewing, baking,… and playing cards. What was great about Grandma was, she never stopped us from experiencing life. She even ‘let us write all over her bathroom walls with Barbasol shaving cream’.
A: We will always remember her Abundant love.
Grandma manifested her love for us in so many different ways. As we grew up, she measured our heights on her kitchen wall. Her hugs and her affectionate way of calling us “cookie” filled our hearts with joy. And spending quality time with her always made our day- we’ve been on road trips with her, we’ve discovered the casino with her, and we’ve even sat on Santa’s lap with her. Grandma would call us or send us letters -she would support us- no matter where we were. Her magnetic door is covered on both sides with multiple pictures of each of us. All of these things are true testaments of her love for us.
So, there you have it: we will remember our grandma for her gourmet cooking and her radiance, for always being awake, for her nimble fingers, her directness, her mothering, and her abundant love.
Love ya heaps, Grandma!
halley gentil 