On Monday afternoon arlen’s grandma, Millie Foster, passed away. And we miss her so much! She was so loving, gentle, caring and inspiring.
The first time I met her we were having a family Easter dinner at the farm. Arlen took me over to her and introduced us and she gave me a great big squeeze and a kiss on the cheek and said “well hello dear!” Just about every greeting between the two of us after that time went the same way. This was the first weekend I had met all of Arlen’s family. I hadn’t known any of them (other than arlen obviously) before then and they all made me feel so welcome – Grandma was no exception. She was interested in my life and where I had come from and where I planned to go.
Arlen has always been full of stories and memories about his grandma. I’ve heard so many of them over the years (I guess only 4 since that’s how long we’ve known each other). But this week I’ve gotten to hear even more as he reflects on his precious moments with her from the time he was a little boy up until the last visit we had with her. Last night he was writing up something little to be read at her celebration of life on Saturday and he talked about how when he was little, he knew that if he was sick at school he would get to go to his Grandma’s for the afternoon. That meant cuddles, cookies, and sometimes tv shows. And so he took advantage of that more often than when he was actually sick. In more recent visits with her he would enjoy walking into her room and seeing the look on her face and the light gasp she let out when she saw his mountain man appearance. One time she told him he looked as though he’d just rode out of the Australian Outback. I tend to think he took that as more of a compliment than it was maybe meant to be. Later in the visit she told him he should clean up for his wife! ha… but then by the end of the visit she would always tell him how handsome he looked. It didn’t matter what he looked like, he could really do no wrong in her eyes. If only she could see his recent grad pictures….I have no doubt that would bring about one of her classic gasps. And then she would hang it proudly on her closet door with all of her other beauties.
One of my favourite memories with Grandma Foster was visiting her in the hospital after she broke her hip last Christmas (07). It was a few weeks later and Arlen and I were in Dauphin for the weekend. We took a couple of hours to go up and visit her and I will always remember that time. I did not ever have the pleasure of meeting Grandpa Foster as he passed away before Arlen found me. I hear from his kids and his grandkids about what a great man he was and I know it’s true. But sitting there that day and talking to Grandma about the “old” days (she is 93, so they were a while ago) I could see a love in her eyes that could not be denied. We were blessed with stories right back from when they met, to their wedding, and their cold ride back to the farm after their honeymoon, wrapped in a buffalo skin blanket to keep warm in the passenger seat. She had funny stories of their early days together, and stories of raising their 10 children on the farm. Can you imagine? I certainly cannot! The sparkle in her eyes as she shared these memories was inspiring to me. She had such amazing love for her husband and kids and beyond that to their spouses and kids and grandkids. I thought my family was gigantic! And she had room in her heart for all of them, plus me.
As we remember her life I am also reminded of the life of my grandma. Arlen and I were sooooo blessed to have been loved by two such amazing ladies and I feel extremely blessed to be able to look to their lives as examples and models of how I want to live and love. Their faith, their love, their smiles and their sparkly eyes will never be forgotten. Their hugs and kisses and kind words and stories will always be missed!
