Leaving a Legacy

This week I had to say goodbye to a woman that meant so much to me and my family. While reflecting on her life, I realized just how much she impacts the way I live my life. 

The things we do each day and how we respond to others is what leaves our legacy. A question I ask myself and encourage my children and students to think about is, "How do you want to be remembered?" This is how I will always remember my Grandma...

It is said that your legacy is determined by the number of hearts you touch within your lifetime. Well...Grandma Ross definitely left a legacy that most people can only dream of creating. The memories she created with each of us here are numerous and vivid. Almost all of my childhood memories have Grandma Ross in them. I can’t begin to describe how grateful I am that our family was so close and living in close proximity made it possible to see Grandma and Grandpa almost every day of my life.  But it wasn’t just the fact that she did everything she could to see us and spend time with us. She made it her mission to make every moment special for each of us. The traditions she created and cherished will always hold a special place in my heart.  It wouldn’t have been Thanksgiving season without the pomegranate she always dropped off for us, it wouldn’t have been Christmas without seeing the treasures she carefully chose for each of our handmade bags or displaying the ornaments she made for our tree. It wouldn’t have been Easter without our hand stitched basket displaying our name. And everyone could always count on a special calendar for Christmas and a Hallmark card with a magazine subscription for our birthday. Jenna still can’t buy a card without checking to make sure it is Hallmark. Grandma never missed a birthday, anniversary, or holiday and marked them all with the most heartfelt cards you could find.

I don’t think there is a family member here that didn’t have a hat or piece of clothing made by Grandma. She always knew just what design fit each of us. And most of the pictures from my childhood are marked with one of the shirts Grandma made me. Whether it was a sweatshirt with a troll that had yarn hair, a shirt with glow-in-the dark puffy paint, a three-on-three shirt she created, or a handmade holiday dress, Grandma had all of that covered. And who could forget the beautiful Barbie clothes she crocheted for us. I felt so special having her one-of-a-kind creations. And I know we all will hang our stockings with a little extra care at Christmas. I can’t even begin to think about the number of hours she spent creating things for her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

And speaking of hours spent on us, there is not a moment in our lives that was not captured and saved by Grandma. Grandma saved every memento from our lives and created numerous scrapbooks for each of us. It wasn’t just pictures, but it was newspaper clippings, the number of points we scored in each game, napkins from special parties, report cards, certificates, everything...If they were special moments for us, they were special moments for her and she saved them so we would always have them.

There probably isn’t a person in this room that didn’t learn something from Grandma. Most importantly, we all learned how to love from her. But it went beyond that... she made it a personal mission to teach others valuable skills.  Her crafting store and classes taught so many of us how to crochet, how to sew, how to craft. Her skills will never be matched by anyone. And when I held her hand last week and told her how much I treasured her and those hands because of all of the things they showed me, she simply replied that she didn’t feel like she was ever doing anything special. She showed us those things because they were important and they meant we got to share those moments. That was just who she was. She never felt like she was ever doing anything extra...those were just the things she thought made a life worth living.

And now, as I sit here reflecting on the legacy Grandma left for me, I realize she has truly shaped me into the person I have become. Traditions and making everyday special are so important to me now because that’s the foundation she created. Crafting, crocheting, and sewing are the things I try to teach my own kids because those were the things she took the time to teach me. Collecting stamps and coins and other artifacts from our history are rooted in my own children because those are the things she did with me. Setting up a Christmas village will forever be a tradition in my home because it was in hers. And if it wouldn’t have been for her showing me a love for reading by buying me more books than I could begin to count, I wouldn’t be an English teacher today sharing that love for reading. I don’t think the things I do are special either, they are just the things that make a life worth living….It is safe to say her legacy for me is great. And I know that is the case for each of you sitting out there today. I only hope I can be half the woman for my kids that she was for me.

Jen said it best last night, “Grandma was always there! At everything, supporting us all. She lived for us...now we just have to remember to take her along for the rest of our ride.” We need to continue the traditions and think of her everytime we see or do something we learned from her. Grandma, I hope you know you will always be with me. Almost everything I do reminds me of you. You will forever hold a special place in my heart and will be with me forever. And I’ll try to make your ribbon jello salad, because it wouldn’t be a party without your signature dish!

Thank you Grandma for being you, for loving us for who we are, and for leaving a legacy that can’t be matched. We love you.