The Harrison Family: Grandma

I am taking a slight break for my Feb. post because my Grandma passed away on Feb. 11, 2011 at 11:20pm. Most of my family members were at her side as she took her last breath. I was laying in bed in Tennessee thinking about everyone and got the phone call from my brother Mark that she has passed away.

My Grandma was a remarkable woman. She was a mother to 11 children, Grandmother to 46 grandchildren and Great Grandmother to 32 great grandchildren. She prayed for each and everyone of us every night before she went to bed. Now I know why she didn't sleep sometimes!

I have many fond memories of my Grandma but probably some of my favorite memories of her were being little and spending the night at her house. She would cook dinner, always provide us with dessert and make up a room for us to sleep in at her house. Usually we slept in 'Granny's' room. I always remember wanting her to close the blinds because I was so afraid someone would look in on my while I was sleeping. She would always reassure me that NOBODY was going to get me while I was asleep at their house. Many nights about half way thru the night I would go into their bedroom because I was scared and just sleep on the floor. If my cousin Monica or Nicole were spending the night with me, we would try REALLY hard to stay in the room all night, but usually we ended up on the floor in Grandma's room.

Grandma always had food for us, even if it was cheese that had mold on it, she would just cut off the mold and tell us it was fine. She even tried to get us to make Christmas cookies with flour that had bugs in it saying "they will die when we cook the cookies." My mom and her sisters put a stop to the bug flour really fast!!

Grandma loved to save everything. Her bathroom was always full of beauty products including perfume, shaving cream and more shampoo then anyone would ever need. It was always fun to take showers or baths at her house because we had a wide assortment of products to use!! My mom and I would always buy Grandma Bath and Body Works products and my mom found most of them under her sink at her house because she was saving them. She never wanted to use new towels either, she didn't want to mess them up! She probably has about 30 towels in her linen closet today!

Grandma is going to be missed by so many people but I find comfort in knowing that she in heaven with Grandpa and they are finally able to be together again. I imagine them dancing, singing and holding hands while they are looking upon their family members with a smile.