Grandmother

  My grandmother was born on March 10, 1900. She lived to be 98 years old, almost a century. Think about the things that happened in her lifetime. She had a family member in four wars. She saw the airplane invented and man fly. She saw the space shuttles invented and men walk on the moon, through another invention, the television. Television was her passtime as she loved her soaps. Electricity to light her house and keep her warm. The telephone with which she stayed in contact with her family. She had eight children of which she lost two, one a twin girl died at 3 months, the other a son died in mid twenties. But she endured and she went on. All of her children except one settled close by. Eventually he came back and lived close. She had 18 grandchildren, 29 great-grandchildren and 8 great-great grandchildren. She live to see 2 of her
great-great grandchildren.  She never went grocery shopping; my grandad always took care of that. She never drove a car but my mom and dad took her to the mountains one year. She lost
her husband of many years in '69. He was her companion, her love, her caretaker, the father of her
children. Still she endured and lived the rest of her days alone. Her youngest son never married and he remained with her until she got frail and unable to care for herself. Then she went to live with her third daughter until she died.  I remember sitting and listening to her talk about her childhood many times. About how her family lived, the things she did as a child and a young woman. The early years of her marriage. She was always afraid of another war. She could see signs of war in a red sunset. When I was a small child, her fears gave me nightmares, until I got old enought to realize it was her imagination and not to fear it anymore. She kept my brother and me while my mom worked during World War II and I remember lots of times she made us stay in the kitchen with her. We had to play under the dining table. After many years she overcame some of those fears. I loved my grandmother very much. To me she was a great lady. I truly miss her.

                      neon_sapphire