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Rockbox mail archiveSubject: A Tribute to my Great Grandmother (Off Topic)A Tribute to my Great Grandmother (Off Topic)
From: Nathan Hevenstone <jimmyrrpage_at_gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 16 Jan 2007 22:26:42 -0500 I realize this is off-topic, but I need to post it. I had to go up to Connecticut on January the 12th quite unexpectedly because my great-grandmother Ethel, someone I was very close to, died that morning, at 93 years old. She was an incredible woman. I was asked to be one of the pallbearers. Her ultimate goal in life, and one she fulfilled every day, was to make people laugh. She truly enjoyed life, and everything about life. She never despaired or cried, and when her time came, she knew, and left this world smiling. My Bubby (Yiddish for Grandmother), my Dad's Aunt Bev, and my dad's Aunt Charlotte (Grandma Ethel's daughters) were with Grandma Ethel when she died. I remember Bubby telling me that the last thing Grandma Ethel did was hold their hands and say: "It's okay. My husband's here now. It's okay. I'm only going to cook with him. I love to cook. I love to be with him. And I am." Those were my great-grandma's last words. I may not have heard them, but I know that's what she said. I believe my Bubby. Those words are Grandma Ethel. I remember how she used to be. She loved to call herself "an old crow." It was always funny, and always made my brother and me laugh. She also loved to cook, and was incredible at it. Long before I was born, before my father even met my mother, Grandma Ethel and her husband owned a bakery. I'm sorry I was never alive to enjoy the bakery, because dad and his family would rave on and on about it in my lifetime. And Grandma Ethel would always tell me stories about the food, making my mouth water! Italian food, Kosher food, pastries for all the Jewish and, yes, Christian holidays, and so much more... the Zwerdling Bakery was a true phenomenon in Connecticut, and very popular. They even had a chain! She only cooked, in my memory, a few times, thought, before she was too old. What she did cook, however, as simple as it may have been, was incredible. I remember one thing that always stuck in my head. She once told me a secret. Her favorite band was Led Zeppelin. At the time, I wasn't as big a fan as I am today, but I was a fan, nonetheless, and I knew all about them. And it shocked me, because whenever I saw her, if she was playing music, it was classical or Klezmer! She was an example, and still is an example, to all who live. You should never fight. You should never despair. And you should never be miserable. Always laugh. Always joke. Always be happy. This is what my Grandma Ethel taught, and what she wanted everyone to see. She always laughed. She always joked. She was always happy. Please remember this. No matter how much you want to cry, or to fight, or to curse, or to disappear, remember that laughter is better than fighting, crying, and being sad. Laughter is what will get you through. This is what Grandma Ethel taught everyone she touched. She did not fight growing old. Maybe it had to do with her having Alzheimer's. But she didn't the whole time. She only had it at the end. When she knew she was growing older, she accepted it. She laughed about it. She joked about it. And she didn't fight when it was her time. She was ready. She was, and still is, a shining star. A light in the darkness. I know she is happy with her husband, now, opening the bakery, and treating those who come to incredible food. I love you, Grandma Ethel, and I'll never, ever forget you. Thank you for taking the time to read this. I appreciate everyone here letting me get this out. -- See Me at my YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/jimmyRRpage Please comment!Received on 2007-01-17 Page template was last modified "Tue Sep 7 00:00:02 2021" The Rockbox Crew -- Privacy Policy |