Due to finals and the passing of my grandmother on Wednesday, I've been lapsed from blogging lately.
I'll be honest. I didn't appreciate Grandmother like I should have while she would have been able to appreciate it. It was when I saw the beginning of the end that I saw the amazingness of Bonnie Jean Parmer Hatfield. She was a beauty. A gorgeous, vibrant, driven woman. Nothing was too difficult for her. No project was too daunting. The woman from whom I received my middle name taught me about being fabulous. She taught me about being glamourous. She looked like a goddess no matter what she had on. I didn't appreciate this at age 7. I didn't realize that I was in the presence of greatness.
Once her Alzheimer's started going downhill, I started savoring the moments. This women taught me so much about life, literature, the world. I've never been around a southern woman with such impeccable grammar. I've been blessed with two grandmothers with so much insight into this world, and it brings me to tears that it took me until about now to realize it. My grandmother had many battles in life, and honestly, that is really my only childhood memory of her. Battles. It wasn't until recently that I realized what a jewel she really was. It became so hard to visit her because I felt so guilty for not realizing this sooner. It was difficult to watch someone you love so much waste away.
This woman taught me so much about life, love, motivation..I can't even begin to tell the world how much wisdom she has bestowed upon me in 21 years of life. But this woman, who bore an unbelievably striking resemblance to Elizabeth Taylor, will be missed and celebrated more than she could have ever imagined.
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| Christmas 2007. Last Christmas at our house. |
Bonnie Jean Parmer Hatfield
1928-2011
Angela...just be glad that you are blessed to have these "good" memories along with the bad! You have inspired me to eventually write not just a blog post...but something more about my own grandmother that was truly my strength while growing up! Living 1000's of miles away...she was my strength in letters...just to remind me of the love that we had shared while I was really little! I was about to post her recipe for Corn Muffins of all things when I read this! You've inspired me to research her life a wee bit more and understand all that I can from a remarkable woman of strength. Sometimes it really does take a monumental moment to make us realize all that we've been blessed with along the way! Hope you and your family are doing well after all of this!
ReplyDeleteCarolyn