Family. The one word that can bring down a three hundred pound man in tears to his knees. The one word that can inspire the jumping of the Empire State Building and revel Liberty in her beauty.
Recently I discovered the true meaning of that one simple but complex word.

We have always been a somewhat close family, everybody knew what was going on in the inner circles. It didn't mean that the phone was picked up or an email was sent to the victim of choice at the time. It just meant that people knew. My dear sweet grandmother of 102 recently died, I found once again that closeness of family that I had not felt since a very young child. A closeness that I had missed since my mother dying over 20 years ago.
It is true that families are like candy, some have nuts and we all know which ones they are. lol However, it is those nuts that make such families a true and rare commodity. I know you've seen posts regarding my grandmother, how sweet she was, how caring and compassionate, now she is gone to be with other family.
As Christmas neared closer and closer we just knew she was not going to make it through to see her 103rd Christmas, we knew she would not pull out of this bout with pneumonia. She was not just fighting pneumonia this time but a really bad kidney infection as well. I went to stay with a cousin so I could be close to her and spend some time with her for Christmas, the last one. I began to remember so many Christmas' past when all she had was a dollar bill she could give to the grandkids. I remember the grandkids grumbling because it was 'just a dollar' and not some grand gift. She did however, leave us with the most grand of all gifts. She left us with her teachings by example of love,honesty, tolerance and characters that are not available in any department store.
She loved to sing and to hear people singing, it didn't matter to her that they might not have the best voice, just that they sang. We gathered around her and sang her favorite songs. My aunt later commented on my voice, that I had a pretty singing voice. Ma, my grandmother, never heard me sing. I'm talking about the singing that is that deep down emotion and action of enjoying what you are doing. She never heard, but I wrote her song, just for her. When no one was around I sang that song into her pillow beside her head and she heard. She heard every note, tone and word and her eyebrows lifted. Later, when all the family was gathered around her bed, I was singing really low. I guess not low enough, because my aunt asked me to sing it out loud.
I began to sing louder, no one could sing with me because they didn't know the words. I sang to my dearest, sweetest grandmother and knew that she and I both would be just fine. The family was shocked to discover, I sing! Another aunt was completely dumb founded, How come I didn't know you could sing? I had cousins standing in stunned disbelief because I am the joker in the family not the singer. You would think I was right up there with the best of Opera, Country Music and Pop all at the same time to see their expressions. lol
I knew we would be fine, however I type this from a hospital bed and hope I can go home tomorrow. Family, get to know yours, find out just how great they are and what they can accomplish. Remember to support them in what they choose and when a thought of them passes your mind, stop, and pick up the phone or send an email. You never know how hard a time that family member might be trying to get through. An alcoholic husband that has been banished out of the house, the loss of a friend or even a grandmother.

I love each of you dearly and none of you the same.
Momma