Grammie

   

My grandmother drew this in 1928 – her senior year of high school.

In 1911, when she was about two years old, she developed diphtheria, which almost killed her, and temporarily left her paralyzed.  As a result, during her childhood, she was always frail and weak, and had to re-learn how to walk.

 

In 1931, when she was 22, as surgeons began an operation to take care of what they thought was a problem with her ovary, they discovered that the ovary was fine.  The womb, however, was upside down and she had a tumor, both of which they were able to take care of, although she would experience a lifetime of kidney and abdomen issues.  

 

Her ten-year-old son died of a rare form of anemia.  Her daughter (my mother) died at age 45 of melanoma. 

 

She kept moving forward, often talking of the past, but extremely interested in keeping abreast of current events, her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

 

In her upper 80’s, she passed out in a grocery store and, thereafter, received a pacemaker.  To her, that just meant she couldn’t walk into town anymore, so she took the bus.  Towards the end of her life, she experienced a series of small brain seizures. Which still didn’t keep her down. 

 

She said once that she found hospitals “an adventure.”  She never complained, even when she was in pain. 

 

As I visited during her last hospital stay, my grandfather called her.  At the end of their conversation, she hung up laughing, telling me his parting words:  “If you come out of the hospital feet first, remember I’ve always loved you.”

 

The next day, she looked up at the nurse who had asked her how she was feeling.  She replied, “I feel old.”  She passed away a couple of hours later. She was 96.

 

One day, as I looked at this drawing which hangs on my fireplace, I realized my search for a business logo had come to an end.  This family heirloom represents my respect for my grandmother as an artist, and for who she was as a human being.    The fact that I am also blonde and blue-eyed is a lovely coincidence.