Grandma's Eulogy

When I reflect back on my earliest memory as a child, the first one that comes to mind is Grandma... feeding me tangerines from the tree in our backyard. No matter where we were or how old I was, she was always, always feeding me. God forbid, if I ever refused to eat in her house, all hell would break loose. I never left her house hungry... and neither did anyone else.
    I have to admit, as I helped my sister prepare the video you all watched, and as I gazed on every single photo, I just kept thinking “the best, the absolute best.” Grandma was The Best. Every picture illustrates the joy and light that she brought to everyone’s life and how she truly loved caring for others. If I had to dream up the perfect grandma, she wouldn’t even come close to being the amazing woman that my grandma was.
    She was always there for us, always taking care of us as young children, entertaining our family and relatives for all the holiday meals, taking us to Griffith Park and mini golf on the weekends, and picking us up from school every Friday and taking us to Subway.  She was there for every school event or play we were in and gave us endless amounts of praise for all our accomplishments. She was there when Mary locked me out of the house after I came home from school one day.  She was there when I cried to her on the phone after a hard day at school. And I even remember her volunteering as a school nurse at St. Bernardine’s. All my classmates used to come up to me and tell me how she was the funniest, most adorable lady. And that she was.
    She had this indescribable energy about her and was always in a rush to get somewhere. Being the frugal person that she was, Mary, John, and I used to go to with her to the 99cent Store where I distinctly remember her ramming her carts into other people’s carts if they were going too slow in the aisles or blocking her way. I used to be so embarrassed, and I would go “Grandma, you can’t do that!”. But I secretly loved it.
    I loved going over house and just spending time with her. Going to Grandma’s was akin to vacation time for me. She treated me like a princess. We used to do nothing together all day and watch all her favorite movies, murder mysteries, and TV shows together, like Wheel of Fortune, Jeopardy, Murder, She Wrote, Jag, and Gilmore Girls. Then, we used to play board games and card games. She taught me Checkers, Backgammon, and Rummy-Q. She even got me into crossword puzzles and Sudoku and let me paint and draw in her house. She passed down all these wonderful Italian recipes that I will be cooking for years to come and will pass on those recipes to my children someday as well. She was always providing me with engaging activities and increasing my willingness to learn, and for that, I will forever be grateful.
    So much of my Italian pride and self-esteem was born through her....in her house, in the loving words she spoke to me, in the admiration she held for me, and in the faith she placed in me to achieve great things. It’s like that Shakespeare quote: “Be not afraid of greatness, some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them.” I can truly say Grandma thrust my greatness upon me.
    So today should not be about mourning her death. Instead, we should rejoice and celebrate her life. I’m confident her soul left this world at peace. She came here to this earth and did all that she needed to, taught others all that she willed, and paved the way for more to open their hearts to love. And I know she’s up there in heaven right now, smiling down upon all of us, with that soft twinkle in her eyes and a grin that steals time. I love you more than you know, Grandma. “Go with God.”