Visit with Grandmom

Grandmom is my dad’s mother, and is Karsyn’s namesake.  Grandmom has had Alzheimer's for about 15 years now and has been “gone”mentally for quite some time now.

If you know me at all you know how special this lady is to me.  I spent much of my childhood at her house, in her kitchen, following her around, mimicking every (well almost everything) she did!  She taught me how to cook, how to set a table, and inspired me to be a teacher with the endless hours she spent playing “school” with me!  Most importantly she taught me the gift of giving time.  I’m quite sure Grandmom had a million other things she would rather be doing when we were at her house, but she was NEVER too busy to sit in the floor and play with me.  Although I’m sure it would have been much faster to make cookies without me, she always took the time to let me help…to let me measure everything out,  to let me drop eggshells in the batter and then to take the time to fish them all out!  She was always willing to play checkers or watch whatever play my cousins and I had come up with to perform for her!

Grandmom has been living with my aunt and uncle for several years, and unfortunately I haven’t been able to see her as much as I would like.  However, Grandmom’s heart is beginning to fail and we’re fairly certain her time here with us limited, so my sister, my dad and I went to see her last week.  This was more than likely my last visit with Grandmom, and although the majority of her memories are gone were able to have a few conversations about some of our favorite memories. 

But more than anything I was so happy to get to introduce her to her great grand daughter who carries her name. 

Mary Jane Trollinger and Karsyn Jane Brewer

 

I actually got to introduce her and tell her she was named after her several times!!!  Each time she expressed how honored she was to have her named after her and each time I got to tell her that Karsyn was just a fiesty as she was!

Grandmom with her grand daughters and great grand daughter 

These are obviously pictures and memories I will treasure forever.

There are no words to accurately express everything Grandmom means to me, but I’m beyond certain that I would not be the person I am today without this woman.  I strive to be like her, and I strive to take the things she taught me and pass them on to my children.  While I’m sad I haven’t spent as much time with her as I would like to have the last few years, I’m so confident that I did get the best years of her life!  And that those memories and life lessons are the things I want to, and will carry forward.