Babe

Though the sun is shining outside, a chill has come over my little corner of delco. Last night as we were putting gobbles to bed, the phone rang. I looked at my husband and we knew. Grandmom i said. the news of her passing was not unexpected, as she'd been unwell for quite some time now. a few months ago, infection resulting from her diabetes led to the amputation of her second leg. the first had been gone since 2005. surgery was quite risky for her already fragile heart, and as much as she's fought over the last several weeks, it just couldn't handle the demand her body was making. i was lucky enough to stop by this past sunday to squeeze her hand and tell her i loved her one last time.

i'm sure Babe is already settling comfortably into her spot in Heaven, ready to rest easy and watch over the family she created. her husband, Mick, had been by her side since they were married almost 62 years ago. i have never seen such devotion in a couple as i have with my grandparents. Mick had a stroke a year ago, and as we visited his bedside, not expecting him to make it, he would drift in and out of consciousness saying how he needed to take care of Babe. I believe she is the reason he pushed through it. He is so in love with her that he did not want her to go a day without having him there.

Babe was the matriarch of a big fat italian family. she was a mother to 11, grandmother to 28, and great grandmother to 15 and counting. the majority of the family is stereotypical italian - we are loud, stubborn, and love to eat, sing, dance, and make fools of ourselves. family gatherings are a big to-do, not for the quiet and shy. my mother falls 2nd in that line of 11, where all the aunts look alike and the uncles look like Mick. the family is so big that a few of the older cousins are older than the younger uncles. just having recently entered motherhood, i cannot even imagine how different it was for my mom and the older siblings to be having children at the same time as their mother!

Despite all the chaos and craziness that is this italian family, Babe always imparted a sense of calm among the mass of people. she would sit quietly by as we all talked over each other in some way or another. as she grew weaker, she did not complain, just would say, "oh i'm alright." her favorite mantras were everything happens for a reason and whatever will be will be , which my mom adopted and now uses as her own. Grandmom never forgot important little facts like names and dates. after she met my husband she would always greet him or ask of him by name, even though he was one of a half dozen 20-something men to join the family around the same time. grandmom would always inform us who's birthday or anniversary was coming up and how many years to celebrate. for a group of almost 80 people (including the in-laws), it was quite impressive.

my grandmom, never wanting anyone to fuss over her, stayed true to form until the very end. last night, when the last of a weeklong string of visitors left for the evening, Babe spent a few more minutes with Mick, then she quietly moved on. after 82 years of taking care of everyone around her, she is finally able to rest.

i love you grandmom. rest in peace.