Love You Great-Grandma (Andresen)

Grandma with Danielle at 6 mo. old. Danielle is wearing the sweater Grandma gave her. Me, my mom, and both my Grandma's at the baby shower for my brother, Tim.

Last summer we all got a picture with Grandma. I'm not sure how old she is in this picture but everyone says I look so much like her. I am proud to have her genes...especially if I could have even half the patience, kindness, generosity and selflessness that she did.

Last Friday we got a phone call that my Grandma wasn't doing well and we should come soon if we wanted to see her. I am so thankful that I was able to take the girls and see her one last time. It was such a blessing to see her smile at my girls even though she didn't have the strength to even hug them or talk much. I got to hold her hand for awhile and prayed that the Lord would either heal her or take her to be with Him as soon as all her kids had a chance to say goodbye. He took her quickly. That night was the last night she was awake, the next day she slept the entire day and then Saturday night Jesus took her home, just a few hours after her last son arrived to say goodbye...just as I had prayed He would.

A memorial service was planned very quickly as several of her kids could not stay long. It was an incredibly special day filled with hugs, some laughter & smiles, tears, too, of course, and many, many memories of the special life my Grandma lived here on earth.

We will all miss her but we are thankful that she is no longer stuck in a chair, in a room, unable to travel and do the things she wants to do. Instead of focusing on the "letting go" I am trying to focus on the "holding on" to one another, the family we still have here. I pray we will give encouragement and love to one another every chance we get. Grandma would want it that way.