Here's to you, Meme

It has been one year since my grandmother, Meme, passed away. I have been thinking about her a lot lately. I have so many happy childhood memories with her. When we were young, my brother and I would go to Meme's house every other weekend. I am sure that this provided relief for my parents, but it also gave us another person in our lives who loved us unconditionally (we were lucky to have many). Our trips to Red Robin, Christmas Eve at her house, walking to Katterman's, and so many other wonderful memories are things that I hold on to now that she is gone.

As I think of her today, I have two strong feelings. The first is that I am so sad that she never met either of the girls. We sent pictures and letters and such, but they never met in person. I am sure that Meme would have liked to see them, but most importantly I know that the girls would have loved her. She was always so generous, both in terms of her love and attention and the fact that she loved to give gifts - a fact that was not lost on me or my brother. While we clearly enjoyed the things we got, those presents are not what I remember now. I remember her laugh. I remember singing Patsy Cline with her in her black and white kitchen, and I can still hear her voice in my head. I remember that she came to our youth sports games. I remember that each weekend that we went to her house she had planned a fun activity for the three of us to share. I remember going to her house every Halloween to trick or treat. I remember going to Nordstrom and searching for the perfect shade of pink lipstick (for her, not me). I remember laying in bed at night with her watching Golden Girls and Empty Nest (two shows whose humor went way over my head). I remember her love.

And it is these memories that leads me to my next feeling: I am so happy that my girls love their grandparents and genuinely enjoy spending time with them. Even though the grandparents are not immediately accessible, there is no doubt that the girls feel the love of their Nana, Yoinkie, Cookie, and Grumps. Having a family that enjoys being together and that gets along is no small feat. We know of plenty of people who dread going to their in-laws' house or who don't have good relationships with their own parents or siblings. Steve and I feel lucky to not be in that situation.

So, here's to you, Meme. Even though you aren't here, I think of you often and miss you. Also, are you the one who put it in Steve's head that Lucy needs a drum set? I feel like that's a present you would have endorsed ...