Gram

I am a member of the #compelledtribe. We are a blogging group that supports each other and writes in response to posted topics every so often. This week's topic is:

Share a story about someone who loved you when you didn't expect it, earn it, or either deserve it.

One of my biggest regrets in life is that my grandmother may not have fully known the impact she has had on me. I had the privilege of living next door to her for nearly 5 years. There were rituals she made me do with her. We watched ice skating every Sunday. We watched Wheel of Fortune most nights. On weekends, she sent me around town to different stores, by foot, with a shopping list for deals at each of them (based on the flyers). I had an odd fashion sense then and she was never afraid to tell me if I looked awful. My gram was the lady with the lavender sweater, lavender slacks, and lavender pumps. She matched. I sported a more Boy George inspired look that she never really understood or appreciated. 

Gram expected me to be active. If I was hiding next door and taking a nap (at home), she would call and call until I answered the phone. "You're sleeping your life away", she'd scold me. 

I can clearly remember how proud she was when I told her I wanted to be a teacher. The beaming kind of proud. Once I said that out loud, there was no wavering. She did everything she could to help me see that goal through.

I made a million mistakes as a teenager and young adult. She never held them against me. Yes, there was always a speech involved after each mistake. But once they were made, she didn't rehash them or use them to bring up pain at a later time. She knew how to move on. 

If you follow our family tree, you'd discover that my "gram" was not technically my grandmother. Growing up, I never felt that difference.  In my heart, I always knew she believed in me. My gram rescued many people throughout her lifetime. I am honored to be one of them. 

As I near another birthday, I wonder what she would say if she were still here. I regret her not being able to meet Sam and give me advice, even when I didn't ask for it. I regret not paying better attention to which John Wayne movie was her favorite or which Liberace song she enjoyed most. 

Any spunk or tenacity I may have, I am pretty sure I inherited from her.