Oh She Could Sing

I find blogging to be therapeutic. I often draft posts just to get my thoughts out. Those posts rarely make the blog but I feel better after writing them. This post has been on the drafting board for quite some time. With a few additions and revisions I decided this was the appropriate time to publish a post close to my heart.

Everyone knows I am a family girl. That is one reason I love that I married into such a large family, the more the merrier. One of the most influential people in my life is my Grandma. Her name is Ava and she is the most amazing women I have ever known. When she passed 10 years ago I remember crying at the thought of her not knowing the man I was going to marry.

 When Pat and I started dating in 2004, he used to joke that no one could say the "G" word in front of me...Grandma. Believe it or not the man I married has a lot in common with her. He has the most amazing sense of humor, everything is funny. She was just like that! If she baked a pie and dropped it on the floor when taking it out of the oven...it was funny. If she went to the store to buy bread and returned home to realize she forgot it....that was funny. EVERYTHING was funny. Whenever something doesn't go according to plan and start to get worked up Pat tries to calm me, "Melissa, what would your Grandma do?" I don't take after her in that department but I'm working on it!

My Mom recently told me the only punishment that worked for my brother was "...you won't be able to go to Grama's." That was the worst! She loved children and had a special way with them. She wasn't "Grama" to just me and my cousins, she was known as "Grama Ava" to many. She had the sweetest voice, when rocked and sang to a baby the fussing would soon fade. When we were little and weren't feeling well she would get out her tape recorder and sing with us. If she wasn't singing she was humming but not in annoying way, it was soothing, that's how you knew where she was in the house - follow the hum.

Months ago I received a package in the mail that turned out to be one of my most prized possessions. I had old tapes of my Grandmother singing restored and converted to a CD. I couldn't wait for Pat to get home from work, I was so excited for his reaction! I made him listen to it the second he walked in the door. It was just as I had hoped, he loved it! I felt like by hearing her sing he could tell how special she was. We often play the CD when we get into bed at night and just like when I was little that soft voice puts me to sleep.

I can't help but think about how excited she would be that I am expecting - how excited I would be to tell her. I am a much, MUCH better person because of her. She shared something special with the ones she loved, something everyone should have an opportunity to feel. I strive to be more like her everyday. When the time comes and I sit to rock my baby her voice will play in the background and when I find myself in those hard times of motherhood I know that voice will bring me peace and patience.


Oh she could sing!