Page 14 - Leisure Living Magazine Autumn 2019

Dear Andrew
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twisted, and looked quite concerned. Your mom broke the tension and made us laugh, saying, “Well, Grandma always said she’d be late to her own funeral!” I wear that pretty ring often. It symbolizes perseverance; and proves that anything can be attained if one chooses to work for it.
When your sister Sarah was in cancer treatment at age 3, we all were very stressed and worried about her. That’s when I bought HOPE rings for your mom and myself, thinking, “Where there’s life, there’s hope.” When Sarah took her last breath at age 10, that hope-filled notion died too. I put the ring away and haven’t worn it since. It’s pretty badly tarnished, and will never look the same again.
I have my Grandma’s engagement ring, too. It’s a dome-shaped white-gold filigree setting with a white sapphire. In her late 80’s, Grandma started “ridding out” her belongings, and one day she casually handed her ring to me and said she wanted me to have it. She said Pappy had
told her to pick one out of the Sears & Roebuck catalogue and he’d buy it for her. I thought “That’s not very romantic”; but I was happy that she hadn’t donated it to a rummage sale, as she had some of her other nice things. Grandma died shortly after at age 90. Her obituary stated that she and Pappy were married September 2nd, 1925. I looked at mom in surprise, knowing she was born in April, 1926. She just shrugged and gave me a “what can I say?” look. So that’s why they always referred to mom’s birth as “premature”!
Drew, there are so many stories in that box. I hope to share more every time you visit, and I hope you’ll cherish the memories of loved ones as much as I do.
Love,
Grandma
About Paula Young
I revel in my roles as wife, mom, grandma, and sign language (ASL) interpreter. I love living in Port Clinton on the water in the home we designed. My hobbies are cooking, reading, writing, and crochet. With husband Bob, I enjoy hanging out with grandsons Andrew, Alex, Asher, and Adin; and their parents, Aaron and Renee. We also enjoy traveling, boating to the islands, and supporting local entertainers. I look forward to recording many more stories to share and leave as a legacy for my precious little ones.
14 |LeisureLiving Autumn 2019
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