Tomorrow, The Graminator will turn 88. And while it's been a tough year, she's still amazing. Every day we laugh. Deep, happy belly laughs. She may be losing her memory but not her sense of humor. She is so patient and calm, even when I'm agitated and frustrated.
She has lived an amazing life. She was born in Beech Lick, West Virginia, a town so small it isn't even on the map. They moved to the 'bigger' city of Salem so she could go to high school (Salem has a population of two thousand so bigger is definitiely subjective.) During WWII, she was a "Rosie the Riveter" working at a Westinghouse plant in Fairmont, WV spraying vacuum tubes. She lived with three roommates in a one bedroom apartment and they all shared one bed when a brother or boyfriend would visit. She married my Grandfather after the war and was a loyal Navy wife. She had to move her three children every couple of years and move wherever she was told. She was a 'single mom' in the sense that when her husband was on the ship she had to do it all (he was gone for nine months at a time.) And that little girl from Beech Lick lived in Hawaii and Japan and California and Washington and Kentucky before finally coming to Las Vegas.
I always thought she was so glamorous and perfect. Now I change her diaper. But I love her even more than ever. She's not so glamorous but she is kind and patient and still full of stories, even though they come out of left field now. It's tough to watch her Alzheimer's but she still smiles and laughs and loves as much as ever.
Happy Birthday Grandma!
3 comments:
I hope she had a fabulous day!
Chan:)
Happy Birthday!! From Salem,WV.
My father was born one holler over from her. Birch Run in Doddridge Co.
Thanks Anonymous! The family lived in Salem until the 1990's. The Morrison's, they had the big house across the street from Van Horn Elementary, next to Nick's. I asked the Graminator about Birch Run and she remembered it well, thanks!
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