Sit Down, Relax, and Meet My Grandma

My Grandma and I have always had a close relationship. We spent a lot of time together when I was younger and talked once a week as I got older and moved across the country. I always remember her as being old.... but when I look back now she wasn't really that old when I was a kid. The last few years of her life my Grandma lived in an assisted living apartment.

She would tell me the funniest things, some true, some partially true, and some she thought were true and were probably completely fictional. My Grandma was always a fruitcake, but we loved her, quirks and all, and she loved us. My Mom says the entire time she has known my Dad my Grandma would say and do some goofy off the wall stuff. She was not politically or socially correct in her words or behaviors. She didn't really care what people thought of what she had to say. As I got older, I started sharing excerpts of my conversations with her with my friends. They loved these stories.

About six months ago my Grandma got sick and went to the hospital. Less than a week later she was gone. I miss her so very, very much. Every so often something happens that reminds me extra of something she said or did that makes me laugh all over again. So... Hello, sit down, relax, and meet my Grandma.

One of the funniest stories I remember happened long before I was born. My Grandparents were active in politics for a while... not as politicians, but as supporters and such. They were invited to the Governor's Ball one year. My Grandma had an interesting sense of fashion... It was always a little off, but rarely more than on this occasion. A Governor's Ball is a pretty formal affair. My Grandma chose to wear her beautiful pink robe, a fancy gold sequined belt, and gold shoes.

The first time I heard this story I was young, probably first or second grade. I was playing dress up out of her closet. I found her shiny gold belt and shiny gold shoes. What kid doesn't want to wear sequins and sparkles? My Grandma told me about her fancy robe, belt, and shoes. I was young enough that I did not have a clue what a Governor's Ball really was or why it was important, but I did know princesses do not wear robes to balls.

I heard this story repeated many, many times over the years. She was proud of her choice of outfits. As I got older, I wondered how true the story was... I mean, seriously, who does things like that? The robe was long gone, but the belt and shoes were evidence that there was some truth to this story. After she passed away I told my mom and my aunt to keep their eye out for a picture. My Grandpa always took pictures, so there had to be one for something as fancy and exciting as a Governor's Ball. A few weeks ago my mom sent me a text message. They had found a picture!!!! Real evidence.... She did it... She really wore a bathrobe, she called it fancy, I call it frumpy. Maybe, she had it right all along?