End of an Era

On June 1, 2008, my Grandmother Martha passed away in her sleep. I call this the end of an era because she was my last living grandparent. She was also the one I was closest to.

One of the things I remember most about Grandpa Trueman and Grandma Martha was how they would stand outside waving goodbye to us as we left. They would wave until we couldn't see them anymore. These pictures were taken from inside the car as we were driving away.

Her death inspired me to go through some of the photo's I have in a shoe box. This is my tribute to the past and to my family, hopefully everyone is represented.

Me sleeping with my Grandpa in 1979.

Staying with the theme of Trueman (Mandy) and Martha...1981

You tell me which one is older??? Can you spot the chest hair in the first of the two Schilling family photo?

This one is from Prosser, I don't recognize these other two kids though...

Eugene and Martha make Andrew and Ava look old in this one.

10,000 points for anyone who knows who this guy is! I'll give you one clue; The picture was taken in the woods.

I just love this one.

I think that none of us in this one look like we do now.

With shades like these I don't know if Matt's building a sand pile or getting ready to weld one.

I had to get Kathleen in here. Also, who would have thought that Ava would be quieter when she was a baby than she is now?

Andrew, When he was still young enough to show Uncle Adam how much he really loved him!

Me and my Grandma at Safeco Field. It reminds me not only of the great time we had at the Mariners game (which we won) but of how she loved to yell at the Mariners, and anyone else, on TV. She would call them "dingbats" and "dumb Swedes". Grandpa would look at her with a loving smile every time.

Since this remembrance was inspired by her I wanted to talk about her briefly...

I read a story about a Vietnamese man who was preparing to move to the West, away from his family. Naturally he would miss his family very much. Before he left his Mother took him by the hand, she said, "Whenever you are lonely, look at your hands and you will know that I am with you." The point she was trying to make was that because she was his Mother, they would always be physically connected, as they would be to the rest of their ancestors, past, present and future. Any time he looked at his hands, or his eyes, or his feet, he would literally see the part of her that she gave to him. We who share a physical connection are fortunate to be able to all remain connected through these means. And fortunately for all of us, Grandma (Martha) lived her life in such a way that she affected everyone she knew. Because of the love she shared with everyone, everyone that knew her was able to gain part of that spirit in their own hearts. So if ever we miss her, we can look into our own heart, reflect upon the seed she planted there, and be with her again.

I love you and miss you Grandma.

Love, Adam