Louise

I do have some fun type posts to do this week, and I’m sure I will at some point.  But they’re getting pushed to the back burner.

My parents called me this morning to let me know that my uncle’s mother-in-law passed away last night.  It’s one of those weird family relationships.  On one side of my family, I have probably met her a few times, but I don’t really know her.  But in this case, this is a woman I’ve gotten to know well over the last 15 or 20 years.  And I’m close to that uncle and aunt.  In many ways, I thought of Louise as a grandma, especially after I lost both of mine.

She was smart and quick witted for many years – well into her 80’s.  We saw her almost every year for Christmas, and she was as likely to make us laugh as any other person.  She teased with the best of them, so she fit right in.

The best family story of Louise was years ago when we had arrived on Christmas day at my uncle and aunt’s.  My brother tripped stepping into their place, and without missing a beat, she said, “Mike, clumsy as always, I see.”

She had just turned 93 about a month ago, and she was frail and suffering from memory problems.  Some days, she was all there.  Some days, she wasn’t.  I saw her at Christmas, and it was hard to see this woman I had gotten to know as sharp and active reduced to this.

Plans are fluid right now, so we’ll see what the next week or so brings, but I will be going north for a memorial service at some point.

RIP, Louise.  You will most certainly be missed.