I'm a fan

Living on another continent means that there are events that I miss back home. The tradeoff for these past few years of great travels and exploring another culture is that I can't always be with the people I love when something big happens. Today is one of those days. My grandma turned 90 last week and today is her birthday party. Family will be flying in from other states, braving tolls and city traffic, trying to keep their kids' clothes clean long enough to make it to the big event.

I wish I could be there too. But because I can't, and because Gram is one of my greatest and most beloved fans, this post is for her.

My Aunt Linda has asked many people to write up their thoughts about Grandma. They will be read out loud at the party and compiled in a book as well. Here is what I wrote:

Some of the best times I’ve spent with Gram were during the summers. There were a few years when I'd stay with her and Grandpa, just me, for 3 or 4 days. These visits were full of familiar things - spicy gum drops in a bowl, exploring the basement fruit cellar, looking through old photo albums - but also full of things I'd never done before. Once she put my hair in curlers and had me sleep on them. During that warm night in the attic I must have woken up every hour, but for the next two days I had, as Gram put it "a perfect page boy". Then she had to explain to me what a page boy was. We rode bikes to the shopping mall, took the El downtown, and rode the city bus back. As a suburban kid, I found this glamorous and exciting. We went to the apartment building of one of her friends and swam in a pool on the roof. I had been to maybe one or two apartments in my life and in none of them could you swim on top of the building.

While I stayed with Gram, she sang with the radio while washing dishes. She scooped ice cream for me at every opportunity. She told me stories about my mom and my aunts, who despite being grandmothers themselves now, are still called "the girls". She took me to the Elmwood Family Restaurant (the Family) where we drank from red plastic glasses and ordered sandwiches too big to finish.

Those stays were special because I had her all to myself. Shortly after that, I became a busy teenager and Grandpa needed her at home more, so the summer visits ended. But she has made me feel just that special on so many occasions. I know I am not the only one. With all of the people in her life - so many friends, grandkids, nieces and nephews, and others who we are related in ways I can never recall - she has a way to remember just what they've been doing, to give them her full attention, to show how much she cares.

I am sure there could be enough people at this party to fill 3 or 4 restaurants. Gram, you have a huge fan club. I wish I could be there to celebrate with you too, but know that I will always be one of your biggest fans.