September 2010

I hope you will indulge me for just a single post that is slightly off the subject.  You see, my dear Grandmother passed away yesterday morning at the age of 95.  She was a dear soul that left a huge impression upon me.

My grandmother, Ruth, was an amazing person, probably the most optimistic person I have ever met.  Even through tough times, she always managed to see the silver lining.  What a rare commodity in a world of cynicism and deficit.  My grandmother was a woman of abundance.

A devoted wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, she lived through amazing times.  When my grandfather died over 30 years ago, she continued to consider herself married for the rest of her life.  When she and my grandfather lived through the Great Flood in Louisville, she remembers fondly watching the city come together.  What an attitude!

I vividly recall spending a week each summer with my grandparents, awakening to find my grandmother in a meditative mood, reflecting on the wonders of God’s creation — and I also remember her Sanka breath.  She did love that Sanka, although I have yet to figure out why!

And when I finished my dissertation, my grandmother relished reading it word-for-word.  Soon, I discovered that she also read all of my references, getting access to obscure books through inter-library loan.  I discovered she was still digging when she contacted me for some of the books that the library could not get.

I still believe that she more thoroughly read my dissertation than any of my faculty advisors, and I dare say, more closely than even I!

Part of what I understand about being a thriving human, one who sees marriage and life as devotion and growth, comes from that legacy.  My grandmother was always curious, reading books and asking questions all her life.  And she was devoted.  She loved my grandfather and was a partner with him throughout their lives together.

I will miss my grandmother.  But I know that she lived a rich and full life, one that spanned both depth and time.  Even with 95 years, I don’t think she wasted a minute.