My first granddaughter was born two months early. My son and daughter-in-law gave my mother’s name as a middle name. He weighed two pounds and six ounces when he was born. While she was in the hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit, all the nurses stated that she was struggling and anxious for life. This did not surprise me because it was named after my mother.
My mother passed away in September 2006. She was a role model, a mentor, a confident, and most of all, she had a will to live. I miss her every day, but somehow I know that her spirit will live on through my granddaughter.
My granddaughter is now home and doing well. This Christmas I decided to write and dedicate a poem in honor of my mother:
Ode to my granddaughter
Little girl, you are a miracle to behold. You got my mother’s name, but you haven’t been told yet that she was a special person. You have a great legacy and your goal should be to live up to your great-grandmother’s name. We will remind you of her goodness in every way. You see, little girl, you have her name. And you should always be proud and proclaim that I have my great-grandmother’s name!
By His Grandmother December 2008
By writing this poem, I was able to give a Christmas gift not only to my granddaughter, but also to myself the gift of documenting my love for my late mother. Christmas is a difficult time of year for those of us who have experienced the loss of a loved one. How do we give a gift to someone who has passed away? We can give them a gift honoring their memory. This can be done by writing a poem, story, song, or by recording an oral story of a special moment with them. So giving one of the above as a gift to a family member makes for a special Christmas!