We'll always love you Grammie

My grandma passed away tonight around 6:30. She was so sweet and funny; that's part of the reason she was Grammie to us and never just grandma. I can still hear her voice, smell her perfume. I never saw her angry; she embodied love, could always make things better. She added a lot to my experiences growing up, we loved her visits. My brother and I spent a great summer in California with her, doing the things you read about in classic coming of age stories: picking almonds, riding old bikes down dirt roads by a winery, sliding around in the mud, fishing, learning how to use stilts. Naps, books, baseball in the afternoon. Panning for gold. Peach yogurt, a giant fruit bowl for dinner.

I'm thankful she moved closer and was in our lives over the past ten years. It means more now than I realized. Michelle and I loved seeing the family over the holidays and receiving Grammie's cards in the mail. It's hard to think about.

We love you, Grammie.