Treasure Chest

I wrote and read the following at the memorial service for my Grandma, Beth Gean.

I, along with ten others, am honored to call this remarkable woman "grandma". I have an old trunk that I inherited, passed down from my grandma down to my mother and then on to me. Today, it resides in my living room and I refer to it as my treasure chest. This treasure chest is different than others as inside you will not find gold, silver or even jewels and yet it possesses treasures of mine. When I look at the old brown and black box I can remember every detail of our cabin--the way it smelled when the wall heaters came on, the sounds of creaks in the the floor, the hours of games played and the sweet smell of roasted marshmallows and hot cocoa.

This old box holds memories I treasure.

On Mother's day 2007, I gave my grandma a gift, a purple notebook. On the inside cover I inscribed, "To my grandmother, whose legacy I treasure". The day after her passing I sat in her chair holding the same purple notebook and in the midst of tears, I read her words and learned something new. Grandma had filled the blank pages of the purple notebook for many months and had entitled each day, "A Good Thing". A simple phone call, a chance to help a family member, a card arrived in the mail, "I love you" from her great grand-daughter, her sons working together to help each other through a painful situation, a hug, getting her hands dirty gardening, her son taking her hand in his, an invitation to a holiday dinner, RAIN.

These are just some of the "things" that she treasured.

If you could see my treasure chest today, you would find that it does not latch properly and it is not in immaculate condition. This old trunk is special to me and it will always be a reminder to me that my Grandma did not value possessions but she looked for the "good things" in each day and in each person in her life.

This is my grandmother, whose legacy I will treasure.

To my Grandpa--As I watch you in your heart break, I can't help but say "thank you for loving Grandma so well. It has been the greatest gift you could have given to your children, grandchildren and all these precious great grandchildren.