Alaska Jane, Pint Sized: Going for Grandma M

February was a trying month. It is the shortest of the year, but so much was packed into its 4 weeks, I would have thought it got an extension this year.

On Feb 17th, we got word that my grandmother had passed away. She had been living with dementia and Alzheimer's for the past four years, and in recent months had been moved into a care facility. We knew her time was short.

She was born in 1919. The amount of change she has seen in our country and in the world is incredible. The changes in her own family make one pause as well; she had 5 children, 16 grandchildren, 14 great-grandchildren, and 2 great-great grandchildren.

I remember her in the kitchen and in the garden, but before I knew her, she was a pilot and had soloed in a time when it was a rare feat for women to do so. She was brave and creative, and I have great memories of her cooking.

I have not been to many funerals. In fact this was my first time being in a cemetery for a service. My uncle Randy shared some wonderful memories, others spoke, including myself and my oldest brother Josh, about things we remembered fondly. I am so glad I went with Harper, and I'm glad to have been a part of a wonderful service that was surprisingly uplifting. Grandma had faith that we could all do what ever we wanted to do. She was encouraging, not in a flippant way, but with a real and pragmatic assurance that if we put the work in, it would come to be.

It is an odd feeling to see your mother's mother being laid to rest. Now that I am a mother, grandma's influence and importance holds greater meaning to me. My mom's conversations on the phone, the just-because-calls, and the lets-stop-in-and-see visits are more than just conversations and things to do.

I am learning about mourning, and loss. I am learning about life and motherhood. I am learning about relationships and the varying roles family can play in the best and worst ways.

Just a few photos from the trip: