A Garden if love grows in a Grandmother's Heart

A few years ago I made a special gift for one of my favorite people in the world. My grandmother. For her 95th birthday I made special shadow box showing how much I appreciate her and the many years I spent growing in her so called "garden". Combining one of my favorite memories of spending so many hours helping my grandmother in her garden. Pruning her yellow roses, picking figs, oranges and lemons, watering and eating her strawberries. This Shadow box sat above the piano in grandma's dining room. Most children and grandchildren sat receiving lessons from my grandmother of how to play the piano and how to read music.

Today October 23rd, 2024, my grandmother would've turned 98. We lost her about 6 months ago. She survived by her 5 kids, 13 grandkids, and 5 great grandchildren. Growing up, my brother and I spent the most time with her. She took us to school every day from the beginning of the 2nd grade until I graduated from high school. We ate almost every breakfast together. We spent many summers with her. Some of my fondest memories are spent making strawberry fig jam out of the figs we picked off her tree in garden out back. Every Thursday if we weren't in school, she would take us to the local bowling alley. She would get my brother and I a lane while she bowled with her bowling league. She was my hero. She survived 4 girls and 1 son. She survived arsenic poisoning at age 3 when playing in the fields in Potrero California where she grew up. She survived breast cancer not once but twice. She was a strong independent woman. We even went to Australia for her 85th birthday. I think of her every day. Her strength and perseverance inspires me to be the type of person she was. I love you Grandma and miss you dearly.