... About My Grandmother - Part 1

Lelah Jewell Brown Walker

What follows is a letter to my grandmother (if it were possible)

Dear Grandma,

You have been my inspiration for many years.  Daddy, your son, talked about you a lot.  I wish I could have known you; but based on what he has told me, you must have been a wonderful mother.  My heart was sadden to know that you passed away in your early forties when Daddy was about twelve years old.  It seems almost like a coincident that when I was in my early forties, I was at death’s door.  I was experiencing the worse pain ever and had to have emergency surgery.  I was told without the surgery, I would die a slow painful death. 

I had the surgery and just celebrated my sixty-fourth birthday. 

Daddy told me you had a  lot of surgeries.  I wonder if you had as much pain as I did.  I sure hope not!  Anyway, because I was given a second chance at life, so to speak, I decided I would really celebrate my birthdays.  It would be my way to say, “Thank you Lord for letting me live another year!”  I am amazed at all the things I have experienced and seen since the day of my surgery twenty years ago. I know you never got to experience those things and because of that I feel I am truly blessed.  I wonder why God would take you home to heaven to be with Him at such an early age and let me continue to live.  I suppose there are some things we are not to know. "’For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’ declares the LORD.   ‘As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.’” Isaiah 55:8-9

When I had the surgery, Melissa was around twenty years old and had started college.  I would see her graduate, get married to John Kraynanski, and have a career that took her around the world.  I’ve been blessed to be the grandmother to her beautiful daughters, Emily now ten, Kate now eight, and Kourtney now four.  Melissa is an awesome Mom.  John is a wonderful husband and Dad.  Wow, you are Emily, Kate, and Kourtney’s great-great-grandmother!

Melissa's sister, Amy was in high school when I had the surgery. So I got to see her graduate from high school and college, get married to Richard Reimers, have a career in graphic design and run her own business.  Amy does not have any children; but is a true doting aunt to Melissa’s girls.  Amy and Rich have a dog named Bug.  And Rich is a wonderful husband to Amy.  So many, many blessings!