#SOL18 Day 25 Happy Birthday Grandma

Today my Grandma would be 92. She passed away at 89, just 3 months before her 90th birthday. Having a Grandma as a constant, loving, joyful presence in my life for over 35 years is one of the most precious gifts I've ever been given. 

 Grandma and Grandy's house was like a second home growing up. I can close my eyes and see every part of it. I can remember being in the kitchen while Grandma cooked and sipping a cup of tea together in the dining room with always a sweet treat to accompany it. I remember the den upstairs, where she would sit in her cozy rocker and I would often lay on the couch and fall asleep after a long day of teaching. In my single, child-free days, Grandma and I had a Wednesday dinner standing date. I would show up and she would cook for me! We would watch Seinfeld reruns, or Rachael Ray's 30 Minute Meals, and game shows like Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune. I remember the porch, where we would sit and watch the cars passing by. 

 Grandma was there for every important event in my life. She was the voice of wisdom when I needed it. She was there for me all the time and always, always on my side. She was the heart of our family and the glue that kept us all together for holidays and special times. 

 I wish she was here now. I wish she could help me navigate the waves that keep crashing, help me find the peaceful shore. Help me with perspective and insight and a cup of tea with a sweet treat. I miss everything about her and life with her in it. 

 But she was never one to dwell in sadness, always one to see the bright side and she kept moving forward. So today I will make myself a cup of tea, sans sweet treat, and feel blessed to have had such a special Grandmother for so long. I will feel her love like a hug and know she's still on my side. Always on my side. 

 Happy Birthday, Grandma. I love and miss you so much. 

Comments

  1. MorganMarch 25, 2018 at 2:45 PM

    What a beautiful tribute! My favorite line: "I wish she could help me navigate the waves that keep crashing, help me find the peaceful shore." Even in the uncertainty, it sounds like she taught you how to take her place, in your own life and perhaps in the lives of your family, too.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

#SOL16 Lesson From Piper

Image
Have you seen the Disney Pixar Short film Piper ?  If not, go watch...I'll wait. :) I watched this movie today with a few of my students who stay after school for "Club Success" (formerly called "tutoring" but this feels way more positive for the kids who are asked to stay). After we watched Piper , we wrote about the movie and then shared our writing. Each of the three students who wrote touched upon the idea that Piper had to learn how to get the food for herself. Some students mentioned the pride she felt after she learned how to survive the big waves and find food.  We talked about the mistakes she made and how they helped her to learn.  I think this video is a MUST WATCH for a few reasons.  1- It really makes you think about the process of learning and how uncomfortable it can feel when you move to trying something new for the first time.  2-Piper learned by her failed attempts and eventually by finding a mentor and trying his strategy. 3-When
Read more

A Working Mom's "I am" Poem #sol15 Day 16

Image
Disclaimer: I have nothing but respect for moms who "stay at home." It is the hardest job.  In my brief stints being a stay at home mom while on maternity leave and on summer vacations, I know that the days are exhausting and challenging.  This poem attempts to capture how I feel about life at the moment, being a third grade teacher and a mom to 2 kids under the age of 5. I am a Working Mom I am exhausted and never done.  I wonder how to find the elusive "work-life" balance  I hear my alarm go off at 3am and trudge downstairs to do the work I couldn't do when the kids were awake I see my work bag,bulging, begging me to finally pay it attention. I want 5 minutes to myself. I am exhausted and never done. I pretend I can do it all I feel the need to eat lots of chocolate I touch my children's soft little cheeks and hug them. I worry I am missing important moments with them. I cry when I feel like I am drowning from it all. I am exhausted and n
Read more

#SOL16 Ditch the Dojo?

Image
Last week, Dr. Mary Howard posted this on Facebook. My initial response, which I wrote as a comment, was this:    I also dislike public shaming systems but I've used Class Dojo and don't find it to be like that. I don't publicly display the points. I've tied the dojo dollars into a class economy where kids get paychecks and can purchase brain break coupons or the  right to sit in the rocking chair at reading time. Paychecks were given privately so students weren't aware of how many points the others received. I did give a certificate to the high dojo scorer of the week and many times it was a student who put forth a lot of effort, despite academic challenges. Class dojo makes it easy to be in touch with the parents and send them pictures and class happenings in real time. They also have a great video series on growth mindset that my students enjoyed and sparked good discussions. There is no public shaming in my classroom and class dojo has been a positive  wa
Read more