We love you Granny!

Well, after weeks of struggle, I’m sad to say that Jody’s darling little grandmother finally went home to be with her Lord. Tonight was the viewing and I should still be at the funeral home with the family. Instead, thanks to a mischievous 3-year-old, I’m sitting here in the house since I got tired of trying to catch him in my 3-inch high heels. As I sit here, lots of things go through my mind. After just three days, the grief is still raw for everyone. We all knew it was coming, but, well, how do you say goodbye to someone that you love?

I’m all right most of the time, but every now and then the image of that moment pops into my mind. One minute you know who you are and who you love. They’re sick and you know time is limited, but they’re THERE. Two seconds later, they’re just NOT. Then follows days of crying and laughing and preparing for the final goodbye. Hard days, but necessary ones.

As my mother-in-law and I sat laminating and carefully placing ribbons on the keepsake bookmarks for the service, we couldn’t help but think about the woman whose life we were celebrating tomorrow. Words cannot accurately describe Doris Marcantel. Doris was always one of those people who was happy with her lot in life. She was happy for whatever she had and, in my 11 years of knowing her, never heard her complain about not having enough.

She loved her friends, her family, and most especially her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, which she ended up having plenty of. Granny “Sirod” as they call her, was a favorite destination on any given day, but most especially at Halloween. You could always count the “green witch” to be standing by her cauldron doling out oodles of candy and popcorn balls. Even if she knew only one or two kids besides the grandkids would come by, she went all out.

And the fun never stopped there. Doris was always cooking something. If you came by, you were GOING to eat something. More often than not I’d catch my husband and boys sneaking over there to “check on Granny” right about noon. Yeah, right. I knew what they were up to and more often than not was happy to tag along. She was just as wonderful a cook as you can imagine.

We would eat and laugh and gossip, of course, and we’d always talk about the grandkids and any new additions coming up as well as fond memories of the past. My favorite of all time has to be at my wedding reception. My cousin, Caitlin, was my maid of honor and she was determined to catch the bouquet. Being a good cousin and bride, I tried my best to aim for Caitlin. I missed. My bouquet gaily sored through the air and smacked poor Granny square on the head. I was mortified, but she had quite a good giggle and loved to remind me about that on my anniversary.

Granny and I made some good memories. We traveled many a mile to Nacogdoches together taking her to her foot doctor and then me going to my prenatal appointments. We learned a lot about each other (and where NOT to eat Mexican food) on those trips. And while the prenatal appointments are permanently behind me now, I’ll think of her every time I head through that long road between here and there.

I could go on and on, but they boys just got back and we’re headed over to eat some of the masses of food that kind friends and neighbors have brought to us in our time of grief. We love you Granny. We miss you. We always will.