An Ode to My Grandma

To be read at her funeral:

Being the youngest of 10 grandchildren, I was blessed with the opportunity to spend the most time with her as Grandma. Because they moved to Longview when I was a young child, Grandma played many special roles in my life.

 

As Grandma the Teacher:

Hours upon hours, I spent creating and designing games of cards, marbles, checkers, chess pieces and other assorted items with rules and regulations that were solely determined by me – which, of course, led to much flexibility and rule-bending. But Grandma would constantly encourage this creative approach to gaming, instructing me in the virtues of creativity, mind expansion, and fun! Grandma would tirelessly listen to my in-depth instruction of each new game ~ and proceed to lose every time!

 

She was also consistently full of knowledge and had a small gem of truth to offer at each visit to her home. Whether it was a medicinal instruction or a fact about the current state of affairs in the world, Grandma seemed to know it all. Each piece was like a slice of her infamous blueberry and apple pies ~ a bookend of solid crusty truth and filled with gobs of love.

 

As Grandma the Peacemaker:

“But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial, and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.” James 3:17-18.

What I’ll remember most about her is the peace that surrounded her being. Patient, kind, and filled with peace - except, of course, when she had to yell at Grandpa to turn his hearing aid UP. In her presence, you felt a sort-of Mother Theresa like harmony exuding from her that seemed to transcend the deeper bond she had clearly made with the world. Her tenderness and concern for your health exceeded the importance of her own life tenfold.

 

As Grandma of Faith and Love:

Most importantly, her and Grandpa together lived a life of profound faith, of undying love for each other and God, and of believers in both of these things. Her life modeled this faith in her every day living. The precious moments I had sharing “devotion time” in the morning with Grandpa and Grandma; the countless times she attended my piano recitals and sporting events; the genuine smile that appeared each time I approached; the Swedish pancakes and blueberry pies, the lefse and tiny chocolate chip cookies; the visits after school and popcorn treats ~ all moments conceived in heaven and brought to Earth by the love and faith of our Grandma.

 

Two final moments: Unfortunately, I am far away in Switzerland and unable to attend the funeral. Before I left for a mid-morning coffee on Monday, my fiancé Emily and I decided to pray for Grandma after receiving word of her failing health. As I checked my watch, it was 11:00 AM. We prayed that God would rest her soul and take her body if He so chose. Two hours later, I received the call that she had passed on ~ two hours before, at exactly the time we prayed for her.

 

On this night (Monday), the night of her triumphant return, I decided to embark on my first ever attempt at making Swedish “Egg” pancakes. With each swish and sizzle of the pancakes, even as incomparably dismal as they were to hers, I remembered her and the life she lived.

 

Tender; loving; peaceful; knowledgable; challenging; submissive; serving; merciful; sincere.

 

May we all come to know the supremacy of a life filled of love, of family, of the gift of nurture and care, of inescapable and undeniable faith, and of true, profound life like our mother, grandmother, and friend – Phyllis Martinson.