Goodbye Gran

My Gran died early on Sunday morning.

She had been ill for a long time. She broke her hip several years ago and then moved in with my uncle and slowly but steadily her health deteriorated. She had been suffering from emphasemna for a long time already after years and years of steady smoking. Last time I saw her was over a year ago...I was planning to visit again on my way home from Mum's for Christmas...to show her her newest great grandchild. I'm told that her memory was fading - indeed last time I spoke to her she asked who's daughter I was but thankfully at the time was able to answer the question herself. My Gramps died back in '78 so she has been missing him a long long time and is now reunited with him, she was ready to go. She had told me that last time I saw her.

In a way it is a bit odd but I am mourning the Gran who I remembered, that Gran (through illness) has been goone a long time.

This is the Gran I remember...the Gran I love..

She was exactly 5 foot tall - I remember it being a big achievement to be taller than her.
She grew up in Glasgow, Scotland and her accent was thick, we were 'wee bairns' to her.
She could talk - those that know me - I could barely get a word in edgewise with her - that is where I got it from, she had so many stories to tell though, I loved to listen to her.
She could sing! Especially at church. She would sit at the back at church (because she used to run the liturgy (sp?) stall in the foyer before and after mass) but her voice would lead the whole congeration in song. Her voice was very deep and she sang with passion. I remember as a child sitting with her, particularly at Christmas as she sang 'A little drummer boy' she rolled her r's as she sang...I sing that song quietly to myself every xmas with my crappy voice and remember the way she sang it - I wish we had taped it once to play to my children.
She had a terrible temper - we didn't see it often but when we did ....wow...not that she ever hit anyone, she didn't need to! I remember when 'Dirty Dancing' came out on video. We had hired it and loved it.. so at our regular breakfast/morning tea after Sunday mass we had been saying how good it was. Gran had a bit of a 'thing' for Patrick Swayze at the time so she borrowed it to watch. I went to go pick it up to return to the video store later that day on my bike. WELL, she opened the door and had it in one hand waving it around and the other hand on her hip and she was yelling 'this is disgusting!' it went on and on for a bit and I didn't knwo where to look - she didn't approve of the sex etc...I remember wishing the ground would open up and swallow me at the time.
She loved us and she loved her great grandchildren. When we were children she always had those tiny little hard musk lollies, she had them at home and in her bag for us. She was never to busy to play with us, sing with us, talk with us. Even as she got ill she loved to watch her great grandchildren.
She used to paint beautifully...she gave it up years ago because of her asthma and emphasemna and the paint fumes but her oil paintings were beautiful.

She was loving and caring and passionate, she was full of LIFE and laughter, she was my Gran. And now she is reunited with the love of her life who she has missed for 28 long years, may they watch over their great grandchildren as they grow.