My Sweet Gram

Meet my Grandma, Beverly Thomas. She's my mom's mom and has been living with them the last several years as her health is deteriorating. She's had many (almost countless) strokes in these last few years. Every time I receive a phone call saying, "well, we'll just have to wait and see how well she bounces back from this one." And every time, she does!

After her most recent one, another CT Scan was done and her doctor was surprised to see so many areas in her brain where a stroke had taken place. "Her brain looks like Swiss cheese!" he said, as he pointed out area after area of strokes. He was amazed that she is still walking and teasingly said, "Beverly, you're going to get hit by a car before a stroke claims your life!"

Born in 1926, Grandma grew up as the oldest among 8 siblings through the Great Depression. I believe it influenced who she became as a woman. She's a very tidy woman, conscientious and conservative. Growing up, everything had a place in my Grandmother's home and everything was in it's place. She was very frugal with her money and stretched a dollar as far as she could. Yet, she was also very giving and generous. She is one of the most joyous and fun-loving women that I know! She laughs so easily and loves to tease and be teased. That came in very handy when she met Joel!

Some of the sayings that I will always remember from my Grandmother are "Good Gravy!!" whenever she was shocked by something and...okay, I have no idea how to spell this one, but if you know my Grandma, you'll here her voice saying it..."ahh, budga, budga, budga!" Another one is "You little Dickens!!" which I'm guessing is an expression a lot of women in her generation might say.

She is a very loyal woman...if she likes you, she loves you! That goes for the teen-ager at the grocery story taking groceries to her car, the postman, the doctor, her neighbors...just whoever! But woe to the one who crosses her or anyone in her family! Most likely she wouldn't say anything to them, but she would definitely let everyone around her know that he is not on her "good list."

These days my Grandmother's laughter has been replaced with grunts and groans and her once smiling eyes, now more just staring ones leave you wondering just where is that woman who lit up the room with her entrance. Some days she's able to express herself well and others, she's struggling to say "hello."

I found myself not quite knowing how to relate to her anymore as so much of our relationship was talking and laughing and just enjoying each other. I didn't know how much was she understanding and comprehending and how much was she just watching the life that happens all around her, wondering why we didn't include her in it. I'm so grateful though, that my parents are choosing to have her in their home where she could be in the midst of our crazy family life and watch her great-grandchildren run all around! I'm thankful that they were able to have that time with her!

Years ago, Grandma had a bout with breast cancer. So two years in a row, my Grandmother and I did the Race For the Cure together. We just did the shorter walking portion of the race but it was filled with laughter and joy as we walked our little mile together.

At one point in my twenties I was working downtown Portland and her and Grandpa "flew south" for winter down to California. I was able to housesit for them for those several months while they were away and I felt that it was then that I really began knowing them as a couple and actual "people" not just as Grandma & Grandpa.

After that I spent about a year coming to their house once a week to clean for them. I enjoyed the extra money they paid me and loved getting that time with them as well. Cleaning all done, Grandpa would usually be asleep in his lazy-boy, watching (wink, wink) golf or football while Grandma and I were off doing something together.

It usually involved her showing me some new thing she was learning or some new quilt she was making for someone. At one point she had heard about this new thing called "email" and decided she wanted have an email address. She told Grandpa she wanted a computer so she could have email. Grandpa said, "well, you have to learn how to use one!" So she enrolled at the local college and took a basic computer class and at the end, bought a new computer. Often, our Sunday afternoons turned into computer lessons as I helped her navigate her way around the internet and email. Her inbox was FULL of forwarded heart-warming stories or warnings or whatever else people forward on to other people. She loved every email that came into her inbox!

So I don't know if I'll actually have time again with Grandma before the Lord takes her home, but I definitely feel like I've had some full time with her in life so far. She is a dear, dear woman...one who I love and enjoy whole-heartedly!