Grandma Fran

My Grandma Fran passed away today. She was a Wife of 59 years, a Mother to 3, a Grandma to 6, and a Great Grandma to 1. She will be remembered for her most important job - taking care of her family. And a big part of that job involved making sure everyone was well fed, and she did a darn good job of it. I am thankful for each treat from her Grandma Goodie Jar, every holiday meal at her house, and for the day she taught me how to make sauce and meatballs. Grandmas are supposed to spoil you rotten, and mine not only did that with food, but also with love. She sent cards at Halloween with $20 bills and instructions to "treat yourself to an ice-cream soda." This was particularly hilarious as an 8 year old when I thought a slurpee was an ice-cream soda and I knew they cost a whole lot less than $20. From what I hear from my Dad and my Uncles, she was a sassy, tough Mama, but she couldn't have been a more sweet, kind, proud Grandma. The only time we ever heard her yell was at my Papa, and it was always in Italian so it just made us laugh.

Above all, she was a woman of faith. God gave her the gift of many, many wonderful years with her family, and one of His last gifts was allowing her time with Henry. She didn't remember much in the end, but she remembered Henry, or "Our Baby", as she called him. The last time I saw her was at Christmas, and she pulled me aside in her kitchen, held my hand and said, "My mind isn't very good anymore, but I will never forget how much I love Henry." And while Henry won't remember his time spent with her, he will know his Great Grandma Fran because when it comes to being a Mother, and hopefully Grandmother one day, I hope to be just like her - a woman who gave herself to God and her family.