in loving memory...

I couldn't let anymore time pass without a post in memory of my amazing Grandmother, Zelma (yes Zelma) Ann Lewis Pendleton. I love this lady! She died at the tender age of 97, and left her unmistakable impression on the world, and on me. I loved her BRUTAL honesty, her smiles, her raised eyebrows and her praise. As a child, she had a way of making me feel like the most beautiful, sweet, wonderful girl in the world. And as an adult, she assured me that I was the best Mom she had ever seen, and when she said it...I could believe it! At least for a minute or two. I don't know how so much love and concern could exist in one person, for so many people, but with Grandma, it did. Everything she ever did, said or wrote (she was known to write a scolding letter or two) was motivated by a HUGE love for her family. She was unconditionally loyal and unapologetic in her belief in those she loved. She knew what we are all capable of, and she expected everyone she loved to live up to that potential. She was a true matriarch to so many.

Grandma loved being alive. She looked for beauty all her life...and was never complacent or ungrateful when she found it. She found joy in people, in the outdoors, in cooking, in friends, in music, in sports, in laughing, in traveling, in her husband, in serving her family and in so many small things. She really cherished her life and lived it to the fullest. What a lesson she taught me through the way she approached her life.

Grandma loved to fish. She had a current fishing license that will expire months after she did. That is so typical of her, being ready to die...but not about to sit around and wait for it!

Grandma was a beautiful, graceful lady who carried herself with elegance and with pride. She was always groomed immaculately, standing with perfect posture, and a presence that couldn't be discounted but was still welcoming and kind. She expected strangers to prove themselves to her, and once they did...she was their fiercest friend. I admire her strength. She never changed, not for anyone. She was genuine and unabashed about who she was and what she believed. I always knew how much she loved me.

My two, sweet Grandma's knew each other as young girls. They used to walk home from school together in Kindergarten and loved each other. Somehow they ended up back in the same small town, later in their life, as young mothers. Somehow what started out as joking "What if my Lynda dated your son"...and so on and so on turned into my parents getting married. Somehow, they remained friends with shared grandchildren. And somehow, they both lost their husbands, later in life and remained close to one another. Somehow, they ended up with the same hospice nurse, who would pass messages between the two of them...like school mates again. And somehow, they died within several weeks of one another, both with huge reunions waiting for them on the other side. How I was so blessed to have the heritage I have, I will never understand. But, I find myself increasingly thankful for these women and how their lives have formed mine. It is truly humbling to think of these beautiful ladies. I love you Grandma P!