Jewells of Thought

Four years later… and her presence and laughter are so missed in our lives. Grandma Rosie is here in the right corner with her younger sisters and the surprise younger brother that her Mom was expecting while she was expecting my Mom, her second child, herself. Then on the opposite corner is my Great-Grandmother Jeannette who was called Mary.

This morning for no apparent reason my alarm was set for 7:30 am and yet I awoke at 4 am this morning. Is that odd? That was the time Uncle Floyd called my Mom 4 years ago to tell us Grandma had passed away without us being with her. We had been assured we would have time to see her and to say our final goodbye. That obviously didn’t happen and yet this morning I awoke at the same time that Mom woke me up to tell me about her death. Who could go back to sleep after that, right?

I came into the living room and ironically the television was on. One of Grandma’s favorite actresses was Lucille Ball and The Lucy Show just happened to be on. This red-haired firecracker was so funny and extremely talented; Grandma didn’t think she got as many accolades as she should have for her accomplishments. Seeing this at 4 am made me smile. The numbness settled in though, things would change drastically and yet Covid had already forced that acceptance unto us by the restrictions for about a week.

There is a song I have long enjoyed singing and humming along to, it’s called ‘Who I Am’ and is a song of Jessica Andrews. I feel so simpatico with the lyrics of this song. Everything in the song sounds like me, I’m not sure I look exactly like Dad, but I do have his brown eyes. I have been told this and heard it a lot through the years.

How often do you hear songs mention your Grandma’s name and feel like the song was and could have been written specifically by and for you? I don’t remember the first time I heard this song but there is an old Ion Television Series called “Sue Thomas FBI Eye” with the ‘I’ struck out for the eye. It was a show my family enjoyed watching and this song was the theme song. I loved singing it every time I heard it come on.

Now in the past 4 years… I stumble when I get… to her name. I can’t sing it without finding myself in tears when I get to those words Rosemary’s granddaughter. I never had that trouble before, plus I also am reminded that there are others who can say they are Rosemary’s granddaughters at least 6 more and remembering that warms my heart. It is a way to remind myself that her characteristics are in us, her daughters, among our various generations now.

This Rose lives on through her family and the Godly influence she had in our lives from Mom to Anna Rose down to the next generation of her great-great-grandchildren.

Who are you? What influences have shaped your life? Is there a song that sums you up so well you think it’s yours?

Grandma had such good photos… it’s so hard to choose which ones to use.