David's beloved grandmother passed away on July 10th. We spent the weekend in Houston attending her funeral and other services. Louisianans are awesome. When someone passes away the friends of the deceased have a craw fish boil for the whole family. It was a beautiful weekend of remembering and being grateful for the long life GG had. She made a book of things to remember for her grandchildren and had a bag of her things set aside for me. I was so honored, considering I am just the granddaughter-in-law. Here is the eulogy or toast I would have given and that I will send to Tom-Tom next week when things die down for him a bit.
A Rare and Precious Gem
My grandmothers both passed away when I was in high school. Looking back, I can see that college was a rather rough time for me. I didn't have anyone in the grandmother role guiding me through life. I needed a mentor. I needed a strong, capable woman who would teach me important things about being an adult and transitioning into the real world. God knew this couldn't be just any woman. It had to be a solid rock.
God gave me GG. In May 2002 at David's graduation from college I met GG for the first time. We immediately clicked. She embraced me from the first moment we interacted, dragging me into family pictures, teasing me about not wearing any make-up, teaching me how to shell crab. She was a breath of fresh air in what had seemed like an eternity of waiting for a grandmother again. She was INCLUSIVE, WARM, STRONG, and cared enough to know me on more than just a surface level.
At our rehearsal dinner GG went up to my youngest brother and proclaimed the following in her deep southern drawl, "Well hello, I haven't met you yet. I'm David's grandmother, GG. GG stands for Gorgeous Grandmother. Have you met my granddaughter yet? She's about your age. She's a gem just like me."
My brother still laughs about the impression GG made on him in those few moments. You have to be quite the character to go around telling 17-year-olds that you are a gem. But GG described herself perfectly. A gem. Hmmm. Like most words I hold in my brain for more than an second, I googled its meaning. A gem: something that is valued for its beauty or perfection. A beloved or highly prized person. The perfect description for GG.
For the past 6 years I have had the wonderful opportunity to get to know the rare stone God brought into my life. Through lunches or phone calls I learned things not just like how to train your husband to get you whatever you want and how to make gumbo but how to give money away, how to include ALL family members in your life, what true faith looks like, and how to give thoughtful gifts. GG always sent me a check for my birthday with a note that said, "This is just for you. Go do something special, and don't let David get his grubby hands on it." I will miss those notes.
When my son Thomas (who was named after GG's husband Tom-Tom) was born, GG began teaching me how to be a mother. She flew up to our home within a month of Tommy's birth for a weekend of "meeting the baby." Once, when she didn't know I was listening, she began telling Thomas important things about life. "ALWAYS be nice to your mother," she said. "ALWAYS remember how much your GG loves you." "NEVER fart unless there is a dog in the room." It was that weekend that GG told me she thought I would be an excellent mother. It is one of the highest compliments I've ever received.
As I transitioned into the role of being a stay-at-home mom GG and I began a new tradition. We had "Girl Chat" every Friday afternoon during nap time. It was in these chats that she listened to me wine about all the baby weight I still had to lose (she did say that any diet that doesn't include at least a glass of wine every day was no good), she answered questions about mothering, and she showed interest in anything I was doing. She made me feel VALUED and SPECIAL. I realized that GG had a special relationship like this not with just me, but with all her granddaughters, family members, and friends. She had a gift for making others feel like a prized and rare gem. One time when she called at our appointed time on a Friday afternoon, David answered the phone. She was mad that he was home from work early that day because girl chat with him around would just not be the same.
A gem: something that is valued for its beauty and perfection. A beloved or highly prized person. I can't help but think of GG sparkling up in heaven in her own unique way.
David and I lost a baby to miscarriage on the 4th of July, just six days before GG passed. We have found great comfort in knowing that when GG arrived at the pearly gates of heaven on July 10, 2008 one of the first things she did was find our unborn child and say, "Well, Hello. I'm GGG, your Gorgeous Great-Grandmother. I'm going to take care of you until your parents get here. Let's sit down so I can teach you some of my bits of wisdom about life." GG, a highly prized person indeed.
