One of many methods I've honored my deceased liked ones is to embrace the traits I admired most about them and make them my own.

My grandmother Jackie was pure love. As a child I thought of her as Mary Poppins, arriving in town with a suitcase of attention-grabbing jewelry, fur wraps and make-up. As a teenager, she arrived with words of "suppose optimistic thoughts and your life will change" similar to Louise Hay, one of many founders of the self-assist motion. As a faculty pupil, I challenged her "see all the things as love" phrases when i pointed to conflict and destruction and murder on the entrance web page of the newspaper. It didn't matter what I stated or did, each time I was in her presence, I felt like I used to be essentially the most precious being on the planet. She adored me and shined her love and mild, like liquid gold, all over me.

My grandparents lived in California throughout my childhood. My Dad worked for Pillsbury and every promotion meant a household transfer to another a part of the nation. I lived in Minnesota, Virginia, Texas, again to Minnesota and eventually Pennsylvania. My grandmother flew to our dwelling every few years and as I grew older, she wrote letters filled with wisdom, hope and love.

She died when I was a 27 year old married woman with a two month previous child, dwelling in Maryland. I woke up early the morning she died and knew one thing had occurred. I might already really feel her spirit with me before the phone rang with the information of her loss of life. It was a surreal feeling of sadness. I might nonetheless feel her with me and could imagine that she was nonetheless alive in California.

At the age of 37, I got really sick. I used to be diagnosed with an autoimmune situation known as polymiositis. My immune system was attacking my muscles. I followed the physician's orders, researched various medication and began an inside technique of healing with a deeper spiritual connection. As I began to mirror on my life with journaling and meditation, my coronary heart started to ache for my grandmother. I desperately wished for one more day with her. I wished to talk together with her about constructive thinking and healing from the inside out. At some point I learn the letters she had written to me in my childhood, sobbing as I read the letters out loud.

It was through the healing that I started to talk along with her spirit, to feel her with me and to listen to her words. My aunt and my mother stated that I was so very similar to my grandmother in her phrases and actions. That was the greatest compliment. I wanted to embrace the traits I admired so much and to dwell my life together with her love and light radiating out to the world. She was my barometer of knowledge, love and leadership.

At the age of 53, I moved to southern California. First stop was Santa Barbara the place a pal was going to provide foster care for my cats. My youngest daughter, Hannah and i wanted a while to explore and discover a spot to stay. The closest city with a resort that was pet pleasant and reasonably priced was in Buellton. It was a further half-hour from Santa Barbara, a good looking drive via windy roads, along the ocean and by way of the hills. I had reserved the hotel on-line and was following the directions. After we pulled into the town, I had a flashback memory and advised Hannah that I had been right here earlier than. I did not remember all of the small print of this sleepy town, but I remembered Andersen's Restaurant.

When I used to be 13, and lived in Minnesota, my sister, Joanne, age 11 and that i flew to California to spend a few weeks with our grandparents, Jackie and Arthur. We flew to San Diego and drove to their house in San Jose. Along the way, we toured and visited the San Diego Zoo, Disneyland, Knott's Berry Farm, and a little bit city known as Solvang.

The trip in 1969 had been a dangling carrot to get all A's and B's on our report playing cards. When the ultimate report playing cards got here, I had a C in certainly one of my classes. How may my dad and mom inform my grandparents that the trip was canceled? We did not see them very often and the details and airline tickets were all set. My mother and father went to Plan B. I used to be required to jot down a report about my California trip. It was really a blessing in disguise. On that trip, I took photos, and collected brochures, footage, ticket stubs, place mats from eating places and even sugar packets. I learned to observe and report every thing. I still have the scrapbook and report and have learn it numerous times protecting the small print and reminiscences alive.

When i arrived in Buellton with my cats, I knew the restaurant instantly. This was the same restaurant the place I had saved sugar packets and a place mat for my scrapbook. This was the restaurant the place I ate split pea soup with my grandparents and Joanne earlier than coming into the city of Solvang, a Danish city the place we spent the night time. My grandfather was born in Sweden and traveled to the United States when he was 10. This was a town where I realized extra about my heritage. Forty years later the memory was vivid.

Hannah and i ate split pea soup at Andersen's. I purchased treats from the Danish bakery, took photos, and walked by means of the town of Solvang, weaving new reminiscences with the old.

Arriving again in Fixing Makeup Mistakes , I felt like my grandmother had rolled out the welcome mat. She was passing the baton to me and I might carry on the reminiscence of her by radiating pure like to the world.