A woman of great value, respect, integrity, strength, and power.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My grandma truly made an impact wherever she stood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She wasn\u2019t famous or rich.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But she had a heart of gold, which made her priceless.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A woman of family, she cared for hers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Even those who weren\u2019t blood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She was a woman who loved tradition, the smell of sweet potato pie on holidays or random Sundays.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Turkey legs, fried fish, and chicken, of course.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Greens, my grandma loved beans; she made all kinds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Green beans, pinto beans, even black-eyed peas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She didn\u2019t discriminate. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Certified shopper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
THE fashionista. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
A woman who never turned down a trip to the thrift store. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
She had no problem with buying the things she liked or desired. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
So, many pretty colors but intentional to. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Silk, real silk, not that cheap synthetic mess. Wool coats, in multiple colors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gold jewelry, real. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Classic brands like Liz Claiborne and Calvin Klein in her closet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She wasn\u2019t rich or even materialistic; she just had great taste.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Quality over quantity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Plus, her mom was a seamstress, they knew good fabrics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My grandma loved being in her garden planting tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, and even peonies. Being outside, enjoying the weather, was her thing, like a true Southern woman. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
She sat on the porch during the day, when the birds’ chirps were fresh, the sky was clear, and it was warm enough to sit comfortably.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Our house sat on the \u201csunny side\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The sun would rise on our side, but by noon it’s beaming down on our skin, hitting it, creating a glistening mocha.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She loved being alive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Maybe not a friend, but kind to many.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She knew who her friends were and who wasn\u2019t. Or she knew how people were and accepted them for who they were and didn\u2019t try to change them unless they were me, ya know? I was a kid.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n My grandma wasn\u2019t a mean woman; she wasn\u2019t malicious or fictitious.<\/p>\n\n\n\n She lived in reality, and while it wasn\u2019t always sunny, she never gave up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I can\u2019t tell all her business because that wouldn\u2019t be very good of me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Just know my grandma never gave up, even on her last, last breath, I know she kept fighting. It happened naturally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Everything about her was natural. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Her hair, her face, her smile, her soul. <\/p>\n\n\n\n She carried herself like a goddess. She wouldn\u2019t dare call herself that, but she carried herself through life very peacefully.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Even on days when she didn\u2019t know my name anymore or she didn\u2019t wanna eat, my grandma always said, \u201cSorry\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s hard to think about how my grandma\u2019s life changed so drastically through her dementia, but I saw the family she built jump right in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I saw her legacy placed in the hands of every single one of us, and it was like a whisper from God saying, \u201cPass it over, they got it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Our relationship is forever growing, even while it may be four years later\u2026 bits of my grandma still move alongside or, better yet, within me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I am 26. <\/p>\n\n\n\n She left this world when I was 22. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Why can\u2019t grandmas live forever? <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n I think it\u2019s because they have other duties to fulfill, but they leave you with so much to discover.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And you\u2019re truly never alone when you have a grandma like mine. <\/p>\n\n\n\n With love,<\/p>\n\n\n\n Happy birthday, Grandma!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Forever a legend. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Forever a beautiful woman who carries a legacy that\u2019s beyond just words. You truly have to see it, to believe it. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8743,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wprm-recipe-roundup-name":"","wprm-recipe-roundup-description":"","apple_news_api_created_at":"","apple_news_api_id":"","apple_news_api_modified_at":"","apple_news_api_revision":"","apple_news_api_share_url":"","apple_news_cover_media_provider":"image","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_cover_video_id":0,"apple_news_cover_video_url":"","apple_news_cover_embedwebvideo_url":"","apple_news_is_hidden":"","apple_news_is_paid":"","apple_news_is_preview":"","apple_news_is_sponsored":"","apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":[],"apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,376,6],"tags":[685,610,854,857,856,121,855],"class_list":["post-8739","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-posts","category-lifestyle-content","category-whats-new","tag-c-alilijah","tag-diaries-of-chan","tag-family","tag-getting-to-know-chan","tag-grandma-notes","tag-love","tag-my-grandma"],"apple_news_notices":[],"yoast_head":"\nHer endurance to keep going<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
She never let life spoil her <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
So, I grew up in the house with her <\/h2>\n\n\n\n