For Nana

                                   

First, let me start by saying that on behalf of my entire family thank you for all for coming out today. Your support during this difficult time means more to us than words can say.

My grandmother touched a lot of lives here in more ways than one. She would be completely taken aback by seeing all of you here now. One thing that she would often say to me whenever she heard of someone passing was  "Don't cry for the dead. You should celebrate them instead. Their troubles are over in this world." That thought alone is what is getting me through this difficult period. So my goal with this speech is to not mourn her loss but instead to rejoice that her hardships are done and remember the special lady that brings us all together today. It’s her ever present strength that is going to get me through at least the next few minutes while i’m up here talking to you all.

Nana and I shared a passion for many things. Some of my favorite pastimes today are the activities I used to do with her. She had a fondness for crossword puzzles, or even just word puzzles in general. She always wanted to keep her mind sharp. I would often do a crossword puzzle or two in whichever book she was using at the time and she would yell at me for doing it in pen. I’d say “But Nana I like writing in pen.” to which she’d reply “Ok.” and then I’d have scratch marks and scribbles all over my puzzle and she’d say “See? That’s why you use a pencil.” Eventually I gave into my own stubbornness and now I use a pencil whenever possible. So, thanks for that Nana. She was also great at Wheel Of Fortune and loved Jeopardy.  One of her favorite stories to tell from when she was the bookkeeper at the church was when Major Goding would sometimes call her into his office and say “Lorraine, we have to have a meeting.” So she would go and then they would proceed to play Wheel of Fortune on his computer. Because of all of this, I developed my love of words and trivia games and brain teaser puzzles.

She loved all the old games down at Salem Willows. And she was great at them too! I’d always find her at some point during one of our many trips there and she’d have a fist full of prize tickets. “Nana, how did you do that?” I’d say to her. She would just laugh and shrug. and say something along the lines of “I just put the quarter in!”. I think she hit the jackpot every other time we went down there, to be honest. Her claw machine skills were unmatched. You could tell her exactly what you wanted in the machine and she would get it. Even if that meant she had to get a bunch of other things first. She still got you that stuffed animal you wanted. But that’s the kind of person she was. Even if you wanted all those jackpot tickets she won, she gave them to you.

Nana was a giver, after all. She would practically give you the shirt  off her back and more if you really needed it. She always made sure that everyone around her was taken care of before she sat down for herself. Caring for her family was one of her greatest joys. Whether it was something as simple as a few rounds of cards Saturday night, cooking Sunday dinner for whoever came over after church or one of the many Christmas Eve parties we would have at their house, she always had the biggest smile and laughed the most when we were all together. She loved everyone and everyone loved her in return. And she loved no one more than my dear grandfather. I’m sure i’m not the only one to think this but the importance of family, blood-related or not, was drilled so deep into my heart because of her and her commitment to all of us.

My husband shared a great quote with me the other day which was written by Sir Terry Pratchett from his book “Reaper Man”. He wrote

“...They believe that no-one is finally dead until the ripples they cause in the world die away – until the clock he wound up winds down, until the wine she made has finished its ferment, until the crop they planted is harvested. The span of someone’s life, they say, is only the core of their actual existence.”

I knew I wanted to include this quote in here somewhere and I didn’t know exactly where it would fit until I took another look at the picture. 

Now some of you way in the back, or even in the middle here might not be able to see this clearly but this is a photo of my grandmother working on one of the many wedding cakes she did throughout her life. She was so proud of every cake she made or anything she baked for that matter and that passion for her hobby was so strong that my father picked it up. Then as time went on, I followed in their foot steps. Without her doing it first, I wouldn’t be on the path to trying to open my own bakery. And that is what that quote means to me. So as long I keep making cakes and cupcakes and cookies, she will never truly die. When I hang this picture on the wall in my bakery kitchen, she’ll be there. Watching over me. Watching over all of us.

I love you, Nana.