I’m going to borrow a photograph today.  Since it’s posted on my Mom’s Facebook page, I’m going to credit mom with the photo (but my dad or someone else may have taken it):

Photo Credit: Nancy Schara

This is my Mom’s Mom.  I call her my “adult” grandma.  Two very special grandmothers blessed my life.  My Dad’s Mom was more of a “kid’s” grandma.  She was great for hanging out in the kitchen and learning how to cook with when I was small — she tolerated messy kids well (at least to us kids).  Mom’s Mom was more fun to do things with as an adult.  She visited me in New York, and she took me to see “Cats” and “Phantom of the Opera.”  We had great seats for both.  When we were at the apartment, she and I played some very competitive Scrabble games (she was not as good a loser in those days).  When I was in Wisconsin earlier this month, we were fortunate enough to get to play more Scrabble games, and she is still a fierce competitor.

Do not misunderstand me — both my grandmothers were/are special people (we lost Dad’s Mom three years ago), and I have solid memories for them both throughout my life, but they were very different people (with some overlapping interests), which resulted in differing happy memories at differing times in my life.

While I was growing up, they lived less than a mile apart, which made it both easy and complicated to see them while I was growing up.  Anyone who has tried to balance grandparent time for your kids knows what I mean by that.  For a few years in the early part of this century, they had apartments on opposite ends of the same apartment building, which made it very easy for me to visit them on my Wisconsin trips.

At 94, Grandma still sews.  She’s gotten away from some of her crafting efforts in recent years, but she’s been an active quilter and sewer of other items (as shown above).  She’s no longer cross-country skiing or taking bus tours with her friends, but she comes out to share meals three times a day and maintains an active personal schedule in her room at my mom and dad’s house.

She moved in with my mom and dad a little over a year ago, and that seems to work well for all three.  Mom, as a retired RN who specialized in geriatrics, is able to offer the help Grandma needs while Grandma maintains some independence.  While Grandma is able to care largely for herself, she does need regular assistance.  I know this takes a toll on my mom — she does it willingly and cheerfully, but it’s a big responsibility.