I love how Memere is just beaming as she holds one of the newest joys in her life, her great-grandson Owen. My aunt sent this to me shortly after it was taken this past Christmas. Memere loved her two great-grandchildren very much, and she was so excited about having a third.
On Sunday morning, my Memere passed away after a 3-month battle with cancer. She had lived a long life, and I am so thankful that I was able to be as close to her as I was. Many people lose their last grandparent when they're very young. I was blessed to have had mine for 30 years. Yet I still feel she left us too soon.
Memere was always a joy to be around. She smiled all the time, and she had such a youthful personality. She'd love going on trips, playing cards with her friends, or just sitting at home, laughing with family. You can also say she was pretty hip - I remember about 12 years ago, at the young age of 71, she pulled me aside and said she had danced the "Macarena" the previous night. And she seemed to be pretty good at it.
My Memere was incredibly generous. There was always an abundance of gifts at Christmas and on birthdays, and she made us all kinds of things with her needles and yarn. Then, when she sold her share of her house, instead of going on vacation, she gave all her offspring a hefty check. She did the same thing when she sold her car. Memere said she wanted us to enjoy the money while she was still around - she took pleasure in seeing us happy. Thanks to her, I was able to buy Jennifer an engagement ring. Memere's final check to us went toward the baby's room, and we told her that the last time we saw her, on Easter Sunday. She was thrilled.
It's sad to think that my Memere won't be there in person to hold our little one and sing him French songs, as she did to all of us grandkids. But that doesn't mean he won't get to know her. My Memere lives on in her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. I see a lot of her in my own mother, who will be "Memere" to our little one. It's comforting to know that, in many ways, my Memere will still be around... and she'll continue to bring joy to our lives.
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