Happily Hannah: For the Love of Red Lipstick and Purple

My aunt put it best, "She loved summer thunderstorms, baby calves racing, purple anything, wild sweetpeas blooming in the spring, cooking for her family, red lipstick kisses, toodling around the farm with Melvin, dancing with her sons, long visits with her girls, hearing stories again and again, her grandkids, and all of the simple things in life. Eight years ago we said good-bye-for now...today we remember with laughter and smiles, and embrace her sweet memory."

I will forever miss my beautiful Grandma but do remember those precious memories with her. I was only eight when she passed away, and was always so upset that I only got to know her for a short amount of time, but now I know that that short time was a gift. She had red hair, like me, more of an orange-carrot color, but I still smile knowing that my hair came from her. She always had chocolate pie made for when we would visit, teach us a little Czech, and make us eat our lima beans. Even though in most of my memories she was sick, you would have never known. Her spirit was incredible and she always was smiling. Her pickles were the best in the world and she hated wearing a wig. I will never forget her love for purple; she was baptized in a purple outfit, wore purple at any family occasion, and was dressed in purple when she was buried. She loved red lipstick and gave us kisses that stained our cheeks. We always peeled potatoes together and would eat half of a raw one after we were done. She chose the most beautiful china dolls for me for Christmas when I was seven. They are so special to me, as they were the last gift she chose for me. In my last memory with her, I had just taken a shower and she asked to brush my hair. I quickly said yes, as I love to have my hair brushed. We sat there in her chair for over an hour, as she brushed my hair and talked to me in a way that only grandmas can. When my parents came home from a trip early, to tell us she had passed away, I was crushed. When we drove the three-hour trip to go to her funeral, I sat in the back under a blanket crying. The funeral was so pretty and I loved seeing the pictures from when she was young. I look just like her. I had never seen my dad cry the way he did at her funeral and it made me so sad. But that's not what Grandma would have wanted. She lived a wonderful life and raised a spectacular family that is adored by many.

I miss her with my whole heart.