Don't Wake Me [someone I miss]

This past week, my grandma finally went to be at peace with her Lord. I miss her.

She was a wonderful woman. I remember when she was diagnosed with cancer five years ago and was given a frighteningly short life expectancy. She beat that expectancy many times over. She refused to give up.

I remember being a kid and going over to my grandparents' all the time. They lived really close, so my older brother and I would visit them a lot. I helped Grandma make the salad. I remember when she first introduced me to olives and I absolutely adored them. I hate them now, but she gave me a can and I ate them while I watched her cook.

She used to have this huge box of coloring books, paper, crayons, and markers. It was such a treat when she would bring it out from behind the couch so I could color with my brother.

She also painted my nails all the time. I would sit on the floor and she'd watch TV as she painted me in bright, obnoxious colors that I just loved at the time. She was always willing to listen to my bad jokes, too.

My mom and I used to go over to her house and sew for hours. She taught my mom how to make the homeschool jumpers I used to wear all the time. I never liked it when she brushed my hair because it hurt. But she told me it made me tougher, and that was good.

When she got sick, she was always so very optimistic. She made the best of absolutely every situation. She refused to believe that she wouldn't make it for a while longer, and her willpower must have something to do with how long she lived. And she didn't just survive. She really lived. She wanted a life, and she got one.

I miss her. I miss her sweet smile, her sense of humor, her hugs, and how her house smelled. I miss spending time with her and receiving instruction from her. I miss her salads and my painted nails. She was a beautiful woman.

When she passed away on Tuesday morning, she was holding a piece of candy to her heart that she promised to give to my sister. Tomorrow is the seventh anniversary of Katherine's death. I miss them both so much, but the sorrow is bittersweet because I'm so joyful that they are together in a place where they will never feel pain or sickness again.