When I Was... Born

When I was born, I had 7 grandparents. Seven! I kid you not. I had 2 full sets of grands, & 1 full set of greats & another great-grandmother. People often think I'm on the crack when I say this, but it's a fact.

All my life, I've been surrounded by grandparents ~ everyone was a grandma or grandpa of some kind or another!

The people in my family are quite long-lived, especially the women. My one great-grandmother died at age 98. Isn't everyone supposed to live until their 90's? Puffy always says that the way the women in my family live, he'll be long gone before me.

I now have 1 grandmother left. Last night, when the Hobbitses & my aunt & uncle came to visit, I realized part of the reason why my grandfather's death hit me so hard ~ with his passing, I was left with 1 grandparent. Down from 7. It was a strange & awful feeling. It still is.

I adore my grandmother. I feel that she has been a great influence on me, & is the only living connection left to my past, to "the old country" {even though she was born here}. She is funny & fun, always full of life, open to trying new things. This is what I picture when I think of her:

• Grandma, watching wrestling, standing on the sofa, yelling at the TV.
• Grandma, at age 60, taking up skip rope cuz she heard it was a good weight-loss program.
• Grandma, playing cards, drinking beer on a hot day.
• Grandma, throwing some money in the VLT's, always winning. ALWAYS.
• Grandma, at ago 80, taking up smoking again. Because she can.
• Grandma laughing, always laughing.

I found out last night she hasn't been feeling well. Something is wrong with the valves in her heart, & she now has a nurse who checks in with her every day. Conrad advised us to plan a trip soon.

Words, the only defense I have most days & in most situations, cannot express how I feel.