Written on January 21, 2017
Family Gallery
Grandma, Mom, and Rita. I never heard her referred to as anything else. She loved the blessed mother, babies, and the Irish. But the thing that I remember most about her, was her kindness. I never heard her yell. When we were children she would stay with us, we would watch I Love Lucy under the blanket on the couch, and she would read and lay with us until we fell asleep. She wasn’t an everyday grandma, she was special. She was our little grandma. Being taller than grandma, was a milestone each one of us reached. Each time you saw her, she would give you a hug and you would secretly measure. A ceremonious picture would be taken as soon it was clear that we were taller. She would offer us the Tic-Tacs and Trident gum from her purse. She always carried a purse. Inside, along with the gum and Tic-Tacs were tissues, a rosary, and her Clinique lipstick, in its special case with the mirror where you could only see your lips. She was beautiful, classy and always had the softest skin.
I never questioned how much she loved us and she was never too busy to share in conversation. She would ask about our friends, and we could tell it was important to her that we had good friends. Jean, Betty, and Peggy were her closest friends, and because of their bond, we heard them referred to as aunts. It wasn’t until we were older that we understood how deeply she valued these women. With these women she had formed a sisterhood, and it was with these women she was truly her own person. During her visits, she would join us in our family rosary, and by simply sitting next to her, you could feel the strength of the personal relationship she shared with Christ.
We will miss her so deeply but the consolation of this day is confidently knowing, without a doubt, she is living perfectly in heaven.