September 26

My dad called me this evening, and since he almost never does that, I knew something was amiss. And I was right, because he was calling to tell me that my grandmother died this afternoon. She lived a good, long life and was ready to go, but still, that kind of news is always a little... shocking. Death is very much part of human life, but that doesn't make it easy.

Since she's now moved on to Heaven, it feels like a good time to reflect a little on her life here.

I don't have a lot of photos of her, but this is probably my favorite. It's from Christmas of 2006, and the baby on her lap is Logan.

For me, she was a calming influence. She had a way of living in the moment that made it easy to be around her; someone could be screaming in another room, and she'd quietly excuse herself to attend to the problem, and return with no trace of annoyance on her face. (She probably fine-tuned that ability as the mom of six kids.) She always did whatever she could to be a good host, and I always felt comfortable and welcome when she was around.

Rest well, Grandma D.