Caroline - 8 avril 2011

It’s hard to pick only a few things to say about Grandmamma, of course. When I think of her, I think of all those summers we spent at Franval playing ping pong and pretending to run a restaurant in that chicken coop. I also remember more mundane things, like closing the shutters at night, and helping Grandmamma pick weeds out of the gravel in front of the house, which I always found very satisfying.

One day, Grandmamma, Alexandra and I we were having tea in the kitchen. In my haste to get the toast out of the toaster, I spilled my tea all over the table and on the ground. You all know how strict she was with her grandchildren. Thinking there was no way out of this one, I braced myself for a scolding. But instead of getting angry or frustrated, she just said “Oh, don’t cry over spilled milk,” and cleaned it all up in two minutes. She knew what was important. And she knew when to let mistakes go. Do you also remember when we used to have to go up to Grandmamma’s room before bed and do the prières? We would all have fou rires and try to hide them from her. I wonder if she noticed. Probably.

I know we will all miss Grandmamma so much. It helps me to remember that she will live on in our genes – where do you think our running speed and long legs come from? And perhaps more importantly, she will live on in our hearts and memories.