David's Grammie

David's Grammie passed away on Tuesday at the age of 90, a few months short of her 91st birthday. She had Alzheimer's for several years and suffered a stroke on Monday. I had met her twice. Her memory was already starting to go when I saw her the first time in Quebec in 2004 before Emily was born. She knew who David was, but she needed reminding about other things. Such as, David and Alisa lived with her when they went to college. The second time I saw her, Emily was almost a year old and we all went to Nova Scotia as Grammie was living with Auntie Barb. She didn't really remember David much. Her health was still pretty good at the time which just makes everything that much harder. You could tell she would struggle in her mind to try to recall something. When we left after this visit, David knew that he wouldn't see his Gram again. David sent me an e-mail yesterday and I loved what he wrote about her. Since he knew her and I really didn't, I thought I would include his words:

As I said yesterday, she did not always nurture with words and was not very "touchy feely", but she was an upstanding individual, very "straight laced", high morals, of humble means and wants, responsible in every way, was quiet and therefore never let her mouth and temper get the better of her, and was very giving and caring in her way. She one time told me that the worst thing she remembered doing to another, was in grade school, she told a kid who was pestering her that she was going to "throw a bean" at him. She laughed about that story when she told it to me, but to this day, I really believe her. It was not in her character to be mean; she was never mean. I know she made no enemies in her life. She surely made an impact on my life, giving me a glimpse into the past, and what I imagine people were like who lived in times when my grandmother was in her prime. She was not at all anything like the "crop" of people we so often meet nowadays. I will miss her strength of character, her integrity and moral uprightness. What she took with her when she died is exactly what the world needs more of. I believe she lead a good life, lacked nothing, and died with no regrets for things left undone. Of course, her mind had left her some years ago, but I believe she would have agreed that there was nothing more she would have wanted to accomplish. Hers was a complete life.

I know I will see her again in my Lord, God's presence...there will be no tears, no unhappy times, no suffering, no decrease or dimishment of person or life. Only abundant life- life everlasting.

We love you Grammie.