Grandma P

About a week ago Dan's Grandma P passed away. She was ill, but it was still hard to lose someone close to you. Above is our favorite photo, because if you look at Katelynn and Grandma P's (right) faces, they have the same expression. This is just one example of how God knows, before we are even created, the family we will belong to. Whether it is through blood or adoption. There are some things from Grandma P, that I will never forget:

*You always knew where she stood, and it was never done in a negative way.

*I will NEVER forget her embrace of Katelynn. Katelynn was actually given her husband's baby ring. There had been many children prior, including her own, who did not receive the ring. In true Grandma P fashion, she sent the gift to be given at Katelynn's finalization party, not making a big presentation. When we opened it, it was such a surprise. She wrote in the card that she had never felt, until this point, that anyone deserved to have the ring. She felt that Katelynn would truly appreciate what it means to have her last name. That means so much to us. After Dominic was born, she fully embraced him as well and always commented on what a great personality he had.

*I loved her for the tenderness she gave my husband. She always had kind and funny stories to tell me about my man growing up. Everytime we visited with her it was good quality time.

*All of her kids have a genuine heart and that is something special to be said about their mother.

*I enjoyed the last visit we had with her. She gave us great words to live by, that will stick with me forever.

*She would say things are just things. People are more important.

*A wedding doesn't make a marriage, a relationship makes a marriage. We were honored to have her at our wedding, like my first on the list she stood by her convictions.

*I always laughed when they told the story that her and her husband didn't teach the kids Italian, because they didn't want the kids to know what they were talking about. In away sad, because it would be good for them to know the language. But after being a parent I can understand.

*When she was diagnosed with the cancer everyone in the room was upset and she looked at them and said. "You know I am 86. I have to die of something." Seriously, her attitude was a gift. She always had a way of putting things in perspective.

*Which brings to my final point. When we talked to Katelynn about her death, she was shocked. Dan started to explain in somewhat of detail, then Katelynn cut him off and said "So, ok we had our time with her, now God said it is his turn!" Now that I look back, that was such a Grandma P comment!