I've finished Rebecca's December Photo Project '10 and it's time to move on to January. I'm looking forward to more writing now with Corrin's January '11 Reflections!
The first prompt is to share my best moment from 2010. I was going to keep this thoroughly brief and just share the moment and the photo, but I think some background would be helpful for understanding just how truly grateful I am for the good times we've had this year.
For me, my husband, and our children, 2010 was easily the most difficult year we've ever been through. We experienced the deaths of four people close to us; one of those was particularly tragic.
When I read "best moment" my instant thought was, "There wasn't one. I am SO glad 2010 is over."
Thankfully, I was wrong. My mind was almost instantly flooded with "best moments". Now, the struggle is to choose only one!
I'm gratefully recalling the time we had with my grandpa during our USA visit, before he passed away in August.
The moment I'd like to remember most is the meal we shared, together with him and other family not long before we left, eating in the "screened-in porch" he refurbished so many years ago. Summery hot sun streamed in through the windows in spite of the approaching evening. An ancient ceiling fan rattled valiantly overhead, doing little to dispel the heat. We ate creamy brown beans, dry cornbread, and soft hominy; crunchy salad and sharp, eye-watering green onions fresh from the garden; brown-tasting fried potatoes; and traditional German sausages. Once upon a time, my grandma would have prepared this meal all on her own, allowing none of us to help. But this evening, she sat quietly resting with her hands in her lap, letting others take over now that she cannot remember how to cook.
Afterwards, we ate my sister's "Goo Cake" (it tasted almost like Grandma's) and drank strong coffee, and took a photo, the last one with my grandpa.
And I am so, so thankful. For my grandpa, for my family, and for all the beautiful times we had together last year.
I'm so glad you had a last meal and photo with him. It was like that with my dad and I in 2009. He came down for Thanksgiving and we had a terrific time eating on his mother's china with both my husband and my brother and his wife. A meal I'll never forget.
ReplyDeleteThis was good, sissy. Thanks for putting all that in writing. Sometimes it's hard to remember all that we did when he was still with us. I had so many days of just being there with few things to remember but the pain. So I appreciate your putting down the good things so I can remember.
ReplyDeleteLove to you and family.