Grandma
Not sure why I opened this up today. It is the eulogy I wrote for my Grandmother when she passed away two years ago. I wrote it and my brother said it. Again, I really don’t know why I opened it…but for some reason I wanted to share it.
January 22nd 1926, Ethel Aileen Fairbarn joined this world in the way all babies do. Even though her birth wasn’t a headlining moment, I believe her life worthy of the Best Seller’s list.
If someone were to write a book about my Grandmother it would no doubt join the store shelves surrounded by stories with superheros and children who pop through wardrobes into a fantasy world. Or at least it would if it were written from my perspective.
For example, my grandmother had the world’s only flying car!!! Chitty-chitty-bang-bang had nothing on that old blue Crown Victoria. Sitting in the backseat one day, driving back home to grandma’s after a day out, one minute we were approaching a railway crossing the next minute we were souring through the air watching the clouds pass below us.
Most superheros are recognized by accomplishing the impossible. Well my Grandma took the cake….literally. Grandma could bake the perfect, triple layer, cherry chip cake, frost it flawlessly and prepare a three course meal for six all while entertaining two children, hyper from sugar, who were high jumping over wrapping paper rolls wedged inside the door jam of the kitchen.
Not good enough you say? Alright, well…..how about this. Superman, Spiderman, Batman, Catwoman and all of those storybook characters lived a double life. So did my Grandmother. By day she was a lovely, house wife who baked, cooked, cleaned and did the laundry. By night she was a card shark and worm hunter. No one could beat you as badly as Grandma did at a good game of Cribbage or Eucher. No matter if you were playing for the first time or the fifteenth time…..there was no mercy. As for the worms….it’s all true. Some people hunt deer…..Grandma hunted worms. The night before we were to head up to Fenelon Falls for a fishing trip, Grandma and Grandpa would grab their flashlights, put us kids into our rubber boots, and take us out to the back gardens for a worm safari. The trick was to avoid shining the light directly on the worms, otherwise they would duck back into the ground.
Even with all of the fun we always had with Grandma, a story isn’t a good story without a lesson in it and there was always something to learn from Grandma.
Lesson #1 – A day is not complete unless you finish it with a good bowl of Rice Krispies.
Lesson #2 – Frozen strawberries simply do not de-thaw properly unless you place the dish directly over a furnace vent.
Lesson #3 – When in doubt, when you aren’t feeling well, use a suppository. THAT WAS A BIGGIE WITH GRANDMA!!
In all seriousness, my Grandmother was one of the kindest, most generous and loving people you’d ever meet. She was always there to offer help to anyone who needed it. The image of Grandma in her tourquois, Oshawa General Women’s Auxillary uniform will always bring me a wonderful sense of pride. She had a way about her that made her an asset in the hospital. Grandma could relate equally well with the hospital staff and the families of critically ill patients in order to bring comfort to those who needed it. She did this, day or night, for 30 years, offering her heart and soul with every loving gesture.
Grandma gave her love to everyone, regardless of whether you were blood related or not. In her home there were always pictures of neighbourhood kids who called her “grandma” and she loved them just as dearly as she loved her own grandkids. When she became a great grandmother her love simply multiplied with each one. Love was never divided only multiplied. We each felt special in Grandma’s eyes.
It’s hard to think of Grandma without thinking about Grandpa but for almost 10 years she has been without the man she loves and could always rely on when she needed her own shoulder to cry on but Grandma always kept on loving and giving without any resentment for her loss. She cherished the time she had with Grandpa. She knew that Grandpa had been an exceptionally special human being who left his own amazing mark on this world through their two amazing sons and his own volunteer work. Well, they are together again and we need to take this final lesson from Grandma…….we need to celebrate the life she had, remember the fun moments that were filled with love and be eternally proud of the gifts she has given to all of us through her kindness and compassion.
