Black Saturday

Yesterday was Mike's birthday. Had he lived he would have been 32.

Also, my 97-year-old grandmother, Leona Mae died from the flu. I thought she would live forever. I miss her very much.

She was 14 years old when her mother died. Her older sister, Dorothy "Dot" raised her. She graduated from high school and dreamed of opening a restaurant with Dot.

She married Noble and they raised 9 children during the depression. They also buried two infants. She retired from a shoe factory.

She was shy and lived in a little house in a little town. When you visited her she laid a full table out with all your favorite dishes (mine were beef and noodles, candied peas, fried green beans, and yeast rolls). You would sit with her and she would bask in your presence and listen to everything you had to say. When you left she gave you dozens of cinammon rolls to take with you. It was wonderful to be loved by her.

Others add:

*When I would come to visit Casey as a child, sometimes Erica would be there, too. Great Grandma would take the 2 half circle chairs in her sitting room and put them together. Erica and I would climb in and play make believe. I don't remember too much about what we'd play. All I remember is the smile on Great Grandma's face every time she would tell me that story. What a great Great Grandmother!*

*When I was 19, I lost a baby. His name was Isaac. That was a very dark time in my life. Great Grandma knew how awful it was since she, too, had suffered loss. She sent me a handwritten letter about once a week for a couple of months. The words in those notes gave me the comfort I needed at that very dark time. She always knew the perfect thing to say.*

*I remember leaving Casey with Mom once. Great Grandma packed us a big lunch, and sent us off with a big box of her famous cinnamon rolls. I remember my mom telling me that was Grandma's special way of letting us know that she was always with us, and how much she loved us."

*Another memory, I'm sure all of us share, is the card on every birthday I can ever remember. She never forgot. Ever. I know that none of us will ever forget her, and she will be with each of us always.*

That's them for now. It just makes me cry again. She was so special in so many ways. Like you said earlier, she's with her mom now. And the babies she lost. She really is in a better place.