Eulogy To My Grandmother

In spite of the circumstances, I’ll always remember this year as one of the most eventful ones for my family, at least from my perspective. Even though I will miss my grandmother, I know she is in a better place; free from the suffering she had experienced with difficulty.

It has been eight years since I recall a loss from my father’s side of the family. While eight years may not seem like a long time, remembering events that have happened up until this point makes us realize it is. For that, I feel very fortunate. And I feel fortunate that we are together here as a family.

We won’t be around forever, but we can always be certain our family will. And our family will be there to take us with them. I’ve seen our family grow with cousins, and extend with in-laws. Family is the essence of humanity. It’s not about who makes more money, or who has a better house, it’s about being with the people you care about. It’s about what truly matters. And that’s why long after we’re gone; we will go on forever, because our family will remember us. And we’ll remember Grandma Sue.

I’ll always remember, when I was little, my grandmother and I used to read Shel Silverstein poems. To the best of my memory, we never had one favorite; we liked reading them all. So I selected one I thought reflected how we both enjoyed the simple things in life…

Where the Sidewalk Ends

Shel Silverstein

There is a place where the sidewalk ends
And before the street begins,
And there the grass grows soft and white,
And there the sun burns crimson bright,
And there the moon-bird rests from his flight
To cool in the peppermint wind.

Let us leave this place where the smoke blows black
And the dark street winds and bends.
Past the pits where the asphalt flowers grow
We shall walk with a walk that is measured and slow,
And watch where the chalk-white arrows go
To the place where the sidewalk ends.

Yes we'll walk with a walk that is measured and slow,
And we'll go where the chalk-white arrows go,
For the children, they mark, and the children, they know
The place where the sidewalk ends.