My husband's mother died yesterday. She was 91 years old. That's a long life to live and something to be remembered. What I remember most is her kindness. Even though I wasn't the most dutiful daughter-in-law, she always greeted me with a smile and a hug. She loved my children and thought they were adorable babies. She never corrected me on my parenting and saw that I was a truly dedicated mother and she appreciated it.
I remember her smile was always wide, her laugh frequent and her hands were always busy. She did a whole array of crafts from rug hooking, embroidery and sewing to crochet, knitting and cross-stitch kits. That was one thing we had in common. I, too, have always loved to embroider, cross stitch and later in my life I taught myself to crochet and knit. I used to watch her knit and crochet fascinated by her speed and expertise. By the time I learned to crochet, she was unable to do it anymore as her eyes and mind were not as good anymore. So I never told her that I'd finally learned to do it.
I hope she knows that I will remember always appreciated being treated kindly. I hope she knows how much I love her son. I hope she knows that her smile and laugh will be remembered. I hope she knows her ability to knit and crochet was an inspiration to me and that I passed on that knowledge to her granddaughter.
She didn't win any awards, make the news or have a facebook page, she just lived an normal life as a wife, mother and grandmother. But I realize that a life well lived doesn't have to make news to make a big impact on others.
