Four years ago today, I had a great loss in my life; my Grandmother Ann Leonard passed away. The most difficult part is that I was not well enough to travel to Kansas City for her “Life Celebration” service. Some people mark the anniversary of a loss at five or ten years. For me… it’s FOUR! When I was four years old, ALL the older grandchildren were in school and I had my Gran all to myself. She started to let me help her do more cooking in the kitchen and showed me how to shell peas out of the garden… didn’t matter how many flew across the room. I would even get to walk up to the garden with her. The garden at my Grandma’s house was all the way up on the North end of the property and we were NOT allowed to go play up there. Lots of trees and some snakes and spiders and other dangers were up there; but she took me with her anyway. I helped pick the pea pods we shelled, cucumbers that had prickles on them. and I would even get to watch her plant some things.

One of the other amazing things she taught me to do was a simple single crochet stitch(I was advanced for a four year old and SHE KNEW IT!) Those became hair ties, necklaces and belts for myself and my dolls. I then taught this to my sister and cousins. My Gran was so proud when I figured out on my own I could use more than one yarn color to make my strings of knots. All of us Grandchildren. during a school Christmas break, decorated the living room with all kinds of strings of knots one day while Gran was napping. I remember that smile. I’m sure there was a bit of “Oh Brother!” behind that smile. We never knew it if she was irritated. We had decorated for Christmas and that was all that mattered.

The following was sent to my Uncle Ken as a tribute to my Grandmother. He officiated her service because he was a minister and was a kind and gentle soul also. Uncle Ken was Grans Son-in-law but that did not matter. He was the best Uncle. Always playing was us kids just like Gran. I hope my words were shared so people will know how blessed I am.

Tribute to Grandma Ann:
There are two lines from the poem “Songs of Innocence” by William Blake that I feel best express who my Grandmother truly was:
“To see a World in a grain of sand, And Heaven in a wild flower”
Grandma Ann, as I knew her, was a teacher, a mother, a grandmother, and a gateway into worlds that existed in everyday objects. After
returning from her journeys as a missionary, she not only spoke of the people she met and the work she did. She also spoke of the beauty of
the land around her. She talked of the air and the way the earth smelled differently. She spoke of the language and listening to the sounds of
the villages and towns. On the trip she and Grandpa took to the Holy Lands, her most memorable trip she called it. I remember her talking of the Dead Sea and she made this body of water come to life. She said when she dipped her feet into it, the water was light as air and a soothing wash at the same time. This is how she viewed all the world, especially children. I believe my Grandmother kept that innocent way of looking at the world that children have and she used it to bring joy and happiness to all of the children in her life. Not just her own family, but the many children she encountered teaching Sunday School. As I grew older, I started to see that my Grandmother was loved by so many because of her sweet nature, the sparkle in her eyes and the way she made you love yourself. Children would line up to hug her on Sunday mornings and in return they would receive not only a hug but a kiss on the cheek.  She had a collection of treasures from all over the world. These sat on shelves between the kitchen and front room, and we were not allowed to play with them or pick them up as children. I, however, was the exception. It was an honor that she trusted me with dusting her precious memories of her friends, family and travels. I remember each time she would tell me where they came from and who had sent them. There were some stories I heard multiple times and I knew that those were the memories she treasured the most and they usually included children. I wish I could be standing on a chair, in my Grans kitchen helping her cook or listening to her stories while I dusted her treasures. My sense of wonder and awe of how much she has seen and witnessed in her life inspires me still in my own writings. I too have not lost that unconditional love and innocence that children have of the world around me.

I believe this is my Grandmother’s greatest legacy. Her words of wisdom help to keep me young at heart and I will treasure every adventure I took with her when she spoke of her journeys during her life.
Her influence of innocence and love will live on for centuries through all of her “children”. The ones she taught in Sunday school, her grandchildren, great-grandchildren and so many other people who knew her because it was so genuine and so full of imagination.

© 2022 “I see… what others refuse to see. I am… what others refuse to be” Lady Kate Phillips