Grandma Moses

Grandma meets Alex for the first time

Many have heard of Grandma Moses.  Not everyone has the privilege of actually having a real Grandma Moses.  My kids are pretty lucky.  Darin's mom is one of a kind.  At Darin's 20 year High School reunion, almost every person that he re-connected with asked, "How's your mom?"  We have lots of fun stories to share about her.  One time Sean was telling jokes and he began one that, in my opinion, was better shared with peers (or not at all) and not with grandparents.  I stopped him mid-joke and told him he may not want to share that joke with Grandma.  Grandma Moses winked at him and whispered, "It's o.k.  You can tell me later."

Another classic:  Mary Ellen is fiercely loyal to her children.  She loves them dearly and mama bear comes out when they are in danger.  As a young boy Darin's brother, Don, was being teased by a neighbor boy.  Don was riding his tricycle and the neighbor boy was throwing rocks at him. Mary Ellen was having none of it.  After comforting Don she told him to go back out and ride his tricycle and assured him that "mom will take care of it".  She then hid behind the car and waited for the neighbor boy to strike.  While his arm was up and he was getting ready to throw a rock, she jumped out from behind the car and said, "You'd better not throw that rock.  I turn into a witch at night and I look for little boys that throw rocks at other kids and I break their arms." They didn't have a problem after that.

Her eyesight is going.  It is devastating to her.  It is very hard for her not to be able to be independent.  Because she can't see well, she needs help to get places.  For a while, I was
 her ride.  Every Wednesday I would pick her up to run errands.  During those rides we became very close.  She told me about her childhood, her first love, her early married years, the talents she has developed over the years (including art, music, storytelling, the ability to put lipstick on without the aid of a mirror, etc.), the gratitude she has for her posterity, her highs and her lows.  Those car rides are treasured memories for me.  Because she recently moved a little farther away, and because we are still settling into life with a newborn I haven't been her ride for a while.  I miss it.  Phone visits have been taking the place of face to face visits.  Hopefully soon we will settle in to a new schedule that includes regular visits again.

No shopping trip is complete without Grandma buying a treat for the kids.  Every time I tell her that it isn't necessary she insists, saying, "How else are they going to remember me?"  And while treats and Arctic Circle do remind us of Grandma, her legacy will include much more than that.  I hope we still have many years to add memories to our vault.