Wednesday, November 23, 2022
The first distinct memory I have of Grammy was the New Years Eve of 2006. As my parents were getting ready to go out for the night, I was screaming my head off and bawling my eyes out, begging them not to leave me. However, they invited Grammy and Papa to watch us overnight. To stop me from crying and to make the night more fun, Grammy brought four sparkly top hats for myself, herself, Papa, and my sister Caroline to wear while we watch the ball drop on TV. Once my parents left and I placed the hat on my head, the waterworks stopped and I had the best New Years Eve of my entire life.
Since that night, the opposite occurred: every time I slept over Grammy's house, I'd cry whenever my parents came to pick me up. My days spent at Grammy's house were always the highlights of my month. They'd go a little something like this:
As soon as my parents would leave, I'd ask Grammy for a bowl of fruit loops. My parents never allowed us to have sugary cereal, but Grammy had about 7 boxes in the pantry: cookie crisps, honey nut cheerios, you name it. After I'd eat my cereal, we'd usually watch some TV. Who Wants to Be a Millionaire was a staple, and I loved that show because the host had the same name as me! Then, we'd play "School", where my sister and I did schoolwork in various math books that my mom sent us over with, and Grammy would act as the school teacher. We'd also play "Little Einsteins," which was one of my favorite TV shows as a little kid. At night, we'd usually watch a movie in her room. And then, when it was time for bed, she always made sure to give us flashlights and roll out our sleeping bags in the office/guest room.
In 2015, Grammy and Papa lived with us in our Houston TX house. As a 12 year old, I'd still watch Who Wants to be a Millionaire with Grammy every day after school. Each morning at 6:15 AM, she'd be my personal alarm clock, making sure I wouldn't miss the bus. Every Sunday, we'd go to mass hosted inside an elementary school, with Father Dat giving the Homily in a hilarious and unforgettable way. Even when Grammy moved back to New Jersey, she would listen to his homilies via a podcast.
When I got baptized, Grammy gave me a silver cross necklace from Tiffany's. She had the same one. I always thought of this as a symbol of the strong and unique bond we had. As a child and throughout my early teens, Grammy was probably my biggest role model. She was such a smart person, and she encouraged my love of reading through buying me a Kindle. She was also so kind. Children have a tendency of being self-centered, and now I wonder how she dealt with my occasional bratty attitude in such a dignified and loving way.
My last visit with Grammy before I left for my sophomore year of college, I brought up all of my memories with her. And every time I'd ask her if she'd recalled an obscure memory that I had of us from when I was younger, she'd nod her head and add a few words of commentary. I sang Hey Good Lookin' and she sing along with the words. This is something that stuck with me: even as sick as she was, she still held on to memories of her and her grandchildren. This speaks volumes as to who she was as a person. I felt so incredibly lucky to have her by my side whether I was on stage as Annie in the 6th grade, or helping me with a math problem while playing "School." I am so lucky that I got to spend my entire childhood with Grammy, and she definitely shaped me into the woman I am today. Thank you, Grammy.
