Grandma

This week I'm going back to Chicago to attend a memorial gathering for my grandma who passed away earlier this year. I'm flying out on Wednesday and hopefully coming home maybe Tuesday or so. I am going to paint the garage, which is always interesting, and hang out with my parents and family who are going to be travelling to my parents place for the gathering. This is a pic of my grandma from 2004 when I visited with my puppy Maggie. It's sort of double sad because both Maggie and my grandma have passed on, so this picture is sad. My grandma LOVED dogs, cats, birds...any time of animal. She just had so much unconditional love for anyone she would meet (including animals.) I remember my grandma as a feisty woman who bowled, shopped (she loved to bring her purchased home and say something like 'well....this was on sale for $5.00 but I GOT IT FOR $2.75!) and volunteered her time at the local Glendale Heights hospital. I loved her so much as a kid, I was the youngest child, so I developed a special bond with her. When things would turn bad at the house because of an argument or whatever, I would always seek solace in her room. We would talk about things that were happening and she would talk about the events of the day, and it always made me feel better. No matter what was happening, I always felt so much better when I left her room. We kept secrets, and talked about the family or whatever was happening. She also had a special place in her heart for my cousins Dave, Joy and Hugh. She loved going over to their house in Wheaton, and spending time with them. All in all, I hope that the unconditional love that we received as kids can be reflected in our lives. I hope I can give as much unconditional love as she did to us.