Tuesday, September 3, 2019

Eulogy for Grandmother :: Eulogies Eulogy

Eulogy for Grandmother My grandmother was a truly amazing person. She was brilliant, compassionate, and outgoing, a fantastic dancer with a sense of humor, and without any ego at all. In other words, exactly like me! Seriously, though, we have a lot in common. Among other things, I inherited her curly hair, her mind for trivia, and her obsession with books and music... She preferred mystery novels and jazz standards, while I liked science fiction and rock n' roll, but those differences are only skin-deep. Like she always said, "I guess that's why they make chocolate and vanilla ice cream." (She preferred butter pecan.) That reminds me of one small difference between us: she was an amazing cook, while I still have trouble boiling water. Meatballs with all-day sauce, stuffed shells, followed by icebox cake... It was all so good. You could walk into her apartment and pass out from the smells alone. It makes me hungry just thinking about it. And when I'd walk home from elementary school and let myself into her empty apartment, there would always be a note on the TV, telling me that there were cookies and milk in the fridge. It's the little things... I always knew that she was thinking about me. As we both grew older, we grew even closer. I did some pretty terrible things in high school, but she always took my side, even when I was clearly in the wrong. She defended and protected me, mostly from my mom. Years later, at my wedding, she serenaded us in a garden in Cambria, accompanied by a jazz band. She sang, "It had to be you, wonderful you... It had to be you." She had such a beautiful singing voice, and I swear, she must have known the lyrics to every single song written before 1959. We shared a dance afterwards. Even though I was taller than her, she still made me feel like a little boy, as we danced cheek-to-cheek. It was the best day of my life. When I think of her, I think of her warm embrace. On my bad days, she would hold and comfort me. Grandma would wrap me in her arms and protect me from the rest of the world, and make me feel that everything was going to be all right. Even in her hospital bed, holding her hand and listening to her soft breath, I wanted to kick my shoes off and be hugged by those safe, strong arms. Eulogy for Grandmother :: Eulogies Eulogy Eulogy for Grandmother My grandmother was a truly amazing person. She was brilliant, compassionate, and outgoing, a fantastic dancer with a sense of humor, and without any ego at all. In other words, exactly like me! Seriously, though, we have a lot in common. Among other things, I inherited her curly hair, her mind for trivia, and her obsession with books and music... She preferred mystery novels and jazz standards, while I liked science fiction and rock n' roll, but those differences are only skin-deep. Like she always said, "I guess that's why they make chocolate and vanilla ice cream." (She preferred butter pecan.) That reminds me of one small difference between us: she was an amazing cook, while I still have trouble boiling water. Meatballs with all-day sauce, stuffed shells, followed by icebox cake... It was all so good. You could walk into her apartment and pass out from the smells alone. It makes me hungry just thinking about it. And when I'd walk home from elementary school and let myself into her empty apartment, there would always be a note on the TV, telling me that there were cookies and milk in the fridge. It's the little things... I always knew that she was thinking about me. As we both grew older, we grew even closer. I did some pretty terrible things in high school, but she always took my side, even when I was clearly in the wrong. She defended and protected me, mostly from my mom. Years later, at my wedding, she serenaded us in a garden in Cambria, accompanied by a jazz band. She sang, "It had to be you, wonderful you... It had to be you." She had such a beautiful singing voice, and I swear, she must have known the lyrics to every single song written before 1959. We shared a dance afterwards. Even though I was taller than her, she still made me feel like a little boy, as we danced cheek-to-cheek. It was the best day of my life. When I think of her, I think of her warm embrace. On my bad days, she would hold and comfort me. Grandma would wrap me in her arms and protect me from the rest of the world, and make me feel that everything was going to be all right. Even in her hospital bed, holding her hand and listening to her soft breath, I wanted to kick my shoes off and be hugged by those safe, strong arms.

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