Life and Beauty

My beautiful Grandmother Hazel McLeod passed away last week.  She lived to be 97 years old.  She was always a poised and beautiful woman, who was a great example of love, and one who enjoyed life all the the way to the end.

Memories:

When I was a little girl I remember my older sister Christy and I would get to have special sleepovers at Grandma and Grandpa's house.  My grandma would always wash our hair in the kitchen sink.  I always thought that was pretty cool and I felt pretty special.  She would then wrap our hair in the soft curlers that you can sleep in.  We would wear them as we played in their yard. We would play in their beautifully manicured backyard with the different flower beds outlining the grass.  They had a very old, antique type stationary bike.  I remember I loved getting on that bike and riding it.

We lived about 45 minutes from my grandparents and so we would often have Sunday visits at Grandma and Grandpa's house.  We loved listening to the song "Tiny Bubbles", a hawaiian hula song. We would love to dance the hula.  I also have fond memories of playing pickle or croquet in their little backyard.  They had a lovely lemon tree in the middle of their yard and we loved picking bags and bags full of lemons! To this day lemons always remind me of my grandparents, maybe that's why I think lemons are such beautiful fruit!

My Grandma enjoyed pop culture and chocolate.  A little chocolate every day and some Bachelor and Bachelorette once a week kept her happy and healthy all 97 years of her life.

Things my Grandmother taught me:

Beauty- 

It is good to take care of yourself and look nice.  Growing up I always thought my Grandma looked good, always perfectly put together.  I thought she knows how to do her hair and take care of herself much better than I ever will.  As I age I am continually learning.  

Strength-

In the summer of 1961 my grandparents and dad were just 3 miles from home, on the corner of El Camino and Berry in Los Altos, CA when a drunk driver ran head on into them.  It was a warm summer afternoon around 4:30 pm and my dad, age 13 had fallen asleep in the back of the car coming home from visiting his Grandma McLeod in Oakland.  Thankfully my dad was unscathed because he was laying down in the back of the car.  This was an era before seat belts were built into cars.  Both my Grandpa and Grandma went through the windshield of their car and sustained many life threatening injuries.  My Grandma had a laceration that started at her hair line that went across her forehead to the corner of her eye.  She sustained other smaller lacerations near her lips and chin area as well.  She had 170 stitches on her face and another 50 in her mouth. She nearly died of loss of blood.   Not until 2 and half years ago when I had my own surfing accident where I had complete left side facial paralysis did I really think about the extent of my Grandmother's injuries.  Knowing my grandmother went through much worse than me gave me strength that I could also move forward and not dwell on what use to be.  I had a much deeper appreciation of what my grandmother went through.  I looked at her in her late 90's, and it helped me realize that my injury was a small moment in my journey through this life.   I saw this beautiful woman, who had experienced far greater pain and damage than I, and she was a happy, loving, beautiful individual who had moved on from that moment in time.  She had to face the world when it was very hard.  My dad told me that she never complained or dwelled on her scars.  What is amazing is that she had that experience on this Earth far before I was ever on this Earth, and knowing that about her gave me great strength.  It is amazing to think of the connections we make with our past that may help us as individuals now, and our legacy can continue into the future as well.  What if my experience will help my 36 year old granddaughter who isn't alive yet?

The last visit and picture I took with my Grandma I noticed her left eye drooped a little.  As a child I always just thought that was from old age, but after my own experience with facial paralysis I know it was from her car accident.  It made me appreciate my own droopy eye and that my own outward beauty may never fully recover in this life.  It doesn't define who I am as a person and it won't stop me from smiling, laughing, and interacting with others.  Our spirits we must nourish because all the outward things will be taken care of by God.

Adaptability-

My Grandmother was born December 31, 1915 and died January 28, 2013.  My Grandma was born during World War I, lived through the great depression, World War II, Vietnam, Korean, and all the Wars in the Middle East.  She lived during a time of much turmoil and change.  In her lifetime she witnessed great change in all the modern inventions and technology of our day.  Throughout her life she saw a lot of change, but she was such a great example to me when 11 years ago she lost her dear Eddie.  My grandparents were the epitome of two little love birds.  He was her Eddie and she was his Honey.  When my grandpa died we were so worried about how my grandma would get along without  her Eddie.  It was very difficult for her initially, but she was able to pick herself up and keep moving forward.  She eventually sold her home in Los Altos and moved into The Coventry a retirement home in Salt Lake City.  She truly made the most of her 90's.  She made lots of new friends, participated in new activities, and went on new outings as well.  She was happy in her new home environment.  It was at the Coventry that my children made all their memories of their Great Grandma and truly enjoyed visiting her. She is a great example to me of one who accepts change and makes the most of it!

Love-

One thing I remember most about my Grandmother is that she loved her Eddie and her children Suzanne and Bruce.  I know my Grandma loved my dad.  She just always listened to every word my dad would say.  In my Grandma's eyes my dad always new what was best.  She would often comment how smart he was and that Bruce would know what to do.  I also know she loved and adored my mother Barbara as well.  I know she loved all her grandchildren and great grandchildren as well.  She was always so proud of everyone and their accomplishments.  She is a great example of one who loves fully and deeply.

 Ethan, "I like going to church with her. I loved to visit her."

McKay, "I liked eating pancakes with her after every time we went to church with her."

Naomi, "I love getting pancakes with you after church."

I am so blessed to have had such a wonderful Grandmother.  It is my hope that her legacy of beauty, strength, adaptability,  and love live on in me.