Bittersweet

JoAnne Ellen Phillips
1933-2013

It has been a sad week for us as my grandma's long journey with cancer ended. Being with her in her last few days made me realize how lucky I am to have had my grandparents as long as I have. Mason and Mackenzie are lucky to know three of their great grandparents ( Mason won't remember his encounters with Grandma JoAnne but I've got pictures to jog his memory).

Grandma was a beautiful woman. She was never with out her lipstick and a brilliant , pearly white smile. Her favorite color was red, which complimented her naturally rosy cheeks. I remember as a little girl thinking she was Lucille Ball. She had a fiery streak and a bit of a quick temper ( which she passed down to each of her 6 children, my dad getting the heaviest dose) . I described her as sassy but she was the 9th out of 12 kids and her sister said it was "survival" . 

Losing a grandparent feels a bit like losing part of history. Suddenly, I am full of questions I never got to ask her. I feel honored to have been able to spend the last few days of her life with her . Holding her hand, examining the lines of her face as I scoured my brain for all the memories I've collected over my life was a gift to me and, I hope, a comfort to her. Though her life is over, I do know that she makes the most beautiful angel and ,somewhere in Heaven, she is reunited with my grandpa and has kissed the face of my brother and that thought brings comfort to my heavy heart.