This is my dad's mom, my Granny Lil (and my aunt). We celebrated her 90th birthday this past weekend. It was a very nice party, held at the Western Development Museum. Family came from all over the country and even one from the States.
Doesn't she look great? She said she gets a lot of comments about her skin and questions about what her secret is.
Her answer? Take vitamins, stay out of the sun and use Avon. Granny has been using Avon since 1942. And her skin looks amazing.
I've always been told I take after this side of my family. So hopefully I have inherited these good genes.
Seeing all of the men together was pretty interesting. Especially my dad's brothers. At times I would hear my dad's voice or see an expression that made me think I was looking at his face. It was a wonderful celebration for my Granny but it was also so hard to be there without my dad. He loved his family so much and it would have been so nice if him and my grandfather could have been there. (They and my cousin's daughter are the only ones in the immediate family that have passed away)
At one point my brother had to leave the room because he was choked up and it broke my heart. It's not fair. It is so not fair that there are men out there who don't care about their families and abuse them and are deadbeats and they get to go on with their lives while my dad had to die. The whole evening, all I could think was this is a nice time but it's just not fair. I know life isn't fair. I know all the "answers" people would say to me, he's happy in Heaven, it was God's timing, we can't question God. But it's still not fair. He would have had a fabulous time. Maybe God let him have a glimpse of the party...I think it would have made him smile.
Earlier that day we all went out to the graveyard and planted a tree at my dad's headstone. It was good for all of the family to see it and have that time out there. Maybe it made the party a bit easier, I don't know. Just to have had that grieving part of the day over with so we could all try to be happy at Granny's party. I'm sure it did make it better for most. Probably a bit harder for us though.
Overall it was a good weekend. I saw family I hadn't seen for fifteen years, they all got to see all the kids and it was just nice for us all to be together.
It is definitely nice to get together for something other than a funeral...maybe we should do it more often.
Dad would have Loved the party, I kept hearing his comments to everything that was going on...he would have filled in all the blanks about who was who in every picture, and would have remembered every date and year that events happened. It would have been so great to see him in a pink shirt, and yes, it was truly bittersweet for us--you Dave, Delaney, me...Love you, hon.
ReplyDeleteWe have one of these coming up too. My Dad's mom is turning eighty this year. The family is planning a whole weekend. I am DREADING it. It's possible I'll back out at the last second. I find it very difficult to be around my dad's brothers, nothing makes me think "It's not fair" more than seeing his brothers with their grandchildren and children and wives. I'm getting upset just thinking about it.
ReplyDeleteSo what am I trying to say here? I don't know. Just big hugs. I know that feeling... Happy/sad to be together, and I think it's so good that you aren't hiding away from feeling what you're feeling. I love the idea of planting a tree, I wish we could do that where Dad's grave is. He liked trees.
I am glad the party went OK - your granny does look amazing. I'm also glad we got together and did the tree thing...it was hard, but good. And I agree - it is strange seeing your uncles and seeing flashes of Doug. He should be here...
ReplyDeletelots of love,
Love you Dana! Thanks for remembering your dad. You keep him alive in all of us.
ReplyDeletehugs,
Kari