Thoughts on February 25th, 2011

Today is an important day in many ways...


As I posted on my Facebook, "On this chilly winter day, Feb 25th, in 1921, 90 years ago, in a farmhouse in Bedford County, PA, my great-grandma was born. She has been the rock in my family every time tragedy struck. When her husband died, I was born 2 months later, and earlier she told me that I was the good thing that made life better then. She took me in when seemingly no one else would. I love her so much, and felt like honoring her today."


She was there for me when my mom gave me up at the age of 2, and took me in and raised me as her own. She raised her 4 grandchildren, my aunts Tammy and Stacey, my deceased father, and my deceased uncle, David. She also had 2 children of her own, my grandmother, and my deceased great-aunt Erma. Tragedy struck with my uncle, my father, my great-aunt, my aunt Stacey's 3 bouts of cancer, and my aunt Tammy's roller-coaster of random health issues. She lost her brother this past year to colon cancer.

My great-grandmother lived through her husband serving in Germany during World War II, as well as the Korean War, Vietnam War, Operation Desert Storm, and our war on Terrorism. She also lived through 2 of the greatest presidents that ever served, FDR and JFK. She's seen a LOT in the past 90 years. But most importantly, she was there for me while I was growing up. She's been there for me since I moved out in early 2007, helping me through tough financial times. We've laughed together, we've cried together. She's told me stories of the past, the war, everything I ever wanted to know about. No one can say how long she has left to live. But she's in fantastic health, often times better than my grandmother, even my aunts. It's a testament to her endurance as the matriarch of our family. She stands alone as the Queen, nothing bad could be said of her, she could do no wrong. She may live to see 100, which would be fantastic. She lived through congestive heart failure (and has been off the oxygen that she was once required to have for a very long time), and this past year she had a bleeding stomach ulcer that was almost uncontrollable due to the blood thinners she was given for congestive heart failure. But she's strong, always has been, always will be. I look up to her, I love her. To me, she is my mother.

I love you, Grandma.