as some of you know, my grandma jean passed away last month. she had a stroke in january, but she came out of it mostly ok and went home (where she has had caregivers staying with her for the last several years). my dad went down to southern california (where she lived) immediately. the family made sure that all of us cousins/grandkids were in town for her 94th birthday weekend in march. i was not sure if i could go or not--because we were moving and busy and i didn't think i could afford it--but my wise husband told me that it might be the last time i'd get to see her and he didn't want me to miss that opportunity. i ended up going, and i'm very grateful that i did, because a week and a half later, she passed away. she went peacefully, and my uncle tim was there when it happened. matt came down with me that weekend for the funeral, and he was wonderful (unlike a certain nameless "dude" who ran and hid last time someone close to me passed away!).
my grandma jean was an amazing lady. i don't want to go on and on here in the blog, but i'll just say that she has been an inspiration to me. she was the kind of person who made you feel good about yourself (even when correcting your grammar, or telling you to comb your hair and not to eat too many rolls at dinner), and who made you feel good about everyone else, too. she LOVED life, and lived it fully. she always saw the positive side of a situation, and she found joy easily. she had incredible style and and endless supply of love to give. she was always surrounded by family and friends who loved her.
Jean Angier MacDonald, 1914-2008