Peace be with you Grandma.
My Grandma Cathy (seen in the 2004 layout above) passed away on Friday evening after living a very fantastic full life.
Grandma Cathy was my Mom's Mom. Awesome, independent, vivacious, confident - all words that come to mind when I think of her. She was a super classy dresser and she gave the best hugs. She and my Grandpa always had the coolest drink stirrers in their bar area. She kept an immaculate home: tidy and organized and the most formal of any of my relatives. The ticking of a grandfather clock and the crazy sound of a cuckoo clock will always generate thoughts of my Grandparents. Her simple vinaigrette salad dressing is still one of the best I have ever tasted.
As a child one of my favorite things to do when visiting my Grandma was to have tea + cookies with her. I always felt really special and grown-up during those times. She had a delicate white cat teapot (which now lives with me) that poured the best cups of tea in the whole wide world.
One of the things I will treasure most about my Grandma is that she was such an awesome Mom to my Mom. I benefit from their relationship daily because she taught my Mom how to be a good Mom (through her words, actions, kindness, example, etc) and a good friend. My Mom and Grandma were close as adults, just as my Mom and I are close. My Mom means the world to me and I am so very lucky to have her in my life.
Thank you Grandma for giving me such a wonderful Mom.
I also want to share with you a very special email that Chris sent to my Mom on Saturday evening:
I talked with Simon a little about Grandma Cathy tonight. I brought it up during a break in our TV time, and then later when I tucked him in. We said a special prayer for Grandma Cathy and then I asked him if he loved Grandma Cathy and he nodded yes in the pure way that only he can. Then I asked him what he remembered about Grandma Cathy and he said: "Going to the city, in the tall buildings, and going in the elevator like this" (followed by upward motion with his hand) : )
I asked him if he remembered all the cats and that Grandma Cathy always called him Tiger. He shook his head and said "yes". Then I asked if he remembered the x's and o's for the tic tac toe game. He again nodded yes and then said, "and I look out the window at the city and all the tall buildings".
I am really grateful that Simon has some memories of Grandma Cathy and he seemed happy thinking about them.
Sometimes you have powerful moments that you can feel are being seared into your memory as they are happening. This was one of those. It wasn't long, but the few minutes remembering Grandma Cathy with Simon was moving and brought to mind all kinds of emotions. Good ones. For Simon, for Grandma Cathy, and for all the family.
Just thought you might like to know.
Love,
Chris
We all miss you Grandma. I am going to have a special cup of tea in that fantastic cat teapot to celebrate you today. Give Grandpa a big hug from each one of us.
My condolances to you and your family. She sounds like she was a great person and left a great legacy...happiness.
Peace,
Karen
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I am so sorry for your loss!
She will always be with you because she is in your memories, but more important she is a part of you through her life.
Great that Simon can remember the love of your grandma!
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I am so sorry for your loss!! My thoughts will be with you! Enjoy your tea!!!
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Grandma's are the greatest. I am 60 now but considered my Grandmother a saint. I became a Grandma 4 years ago and there is nothing like it. I pray that Sarah will have a lot of the same feelings about me that you, Chris and Simon shared with us. Enjoy your Mom's website too. Hugs and good memories to you and your family.
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Ali so sorry to hear of your Grandma's passing. But sounds like you have very fond memories of her. And the sweet little cat tea pot will always keep her memory close too you. Love and prayers to you and your family.
Lori
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Ali,
Peace to you & your family...my deepest sympathies.
Love, Abby
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WOW!! Sooo sorry to hear of your loss. But what awesome awesome memories. The fact they're documented will trigger these happy moments later in Simon's life.
Oh, how I wish my tinies coulda known my mother & what an incredible person she was.
Thanks for sharing!!
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What a beautiful tribute to your grandmother...thanks for sharing. My condolences to you and your family for your loss.
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sending you and your family and your grandmother peace and light...
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Oh, I'm sorry to hear about your loss... I wish you, and your family, lot's of strenght in this difficult time! But I also want to thank you for your beautiful post. Although the subject is very sad, everything you write about is so full of life and good things... and the story of Simon's memories about his great grandmother warms my heart! It's such a stange experience, this thing we call 'life'... full of good and bright, hard and sad moments... and all these moments pass, and life goes on... and people come and they go... just like the waves of the sea... and somehow that's comforting to know... everything you wrote is proof of all that... and it's good! Thanks for sharing!
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so sorry to hear about your Grandma. sounds like a wonderful lady who has left beautiful memories with each and every one of you. take care...
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Ali, I'm really sorry about your loss. I have a very close relationship with my grandma, and I'm very grateful for that. I thought there was something different about you on saturday at CKU. Thanks for sharing, my condolences for you and your family.
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She is in better place most definitely! I will pray for her and your family.
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So beautiful that you all have such lovely memories of your Grandmother! You and your sister both have such a way with words, I feel like I have a good idea of what she was like.
Best to you,
tammy t
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Sorry for your loss. I'm sending my warmest thoughts to you and your family.
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So very sorry for your family's loss. So very happy for Simon's memory of her. I know you will keep that memory alive. Thanks for sharing that beautiful letter.
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Our prayers are with you and your family. I found the hardest thing was to explain a death to my sons, so I appreciate your sharing Chris and Simon's experience.
Stacy (Alberta, Canada)
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So precious for you to share with us. Time passes...so easily to forget.
Prayers for your family.
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My thoughts are with you and your family. She was a lucky lady to live such a wonderful life.
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My prayers are with your family. It's a wonderful thing you have all those beautiful memories.
God Bless,
-Karla
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what a beautiful tribute to your Grandma Cathy. Chris' note made me cry. I'll be squeezing my babies tighter tonight.
I'm so sorry for your loss.
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thinking about you guys. simon seems like such a sweet sweet boy.
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Thinking of you all at this time. So lucky to have all those happy memories.
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Wow such touching words and memories and such a positive light on a loss that is obviously great, I wish I had thought of such beautiful things to say about my Dad when he passed instead of the emptiness, you have brought to light how important it is to remember what we have and not what we have lost x
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Ali, I'm so sorry for your loss. My thoughts & prayers are with you & your family. All of my grandparents are gone & I think of them often. Oh what a joy they were!
Jenn B
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