{April A-Z Challenge} The Letter H

H is for ... Heirlooms

My grandparents were not well off and relied on their measly state funded pensions and my parents to live out their retirement years. 

When they passed away, we did not inherit money. Instead, we inherited special items which my grandparents had cherished.

You know how old people are - Their special clothes are carefully wrapped in tissue paper, their precious belongings lovingly stowed in a box, all ready to be paraded at the next family gathering. I recall finding a jersey I had bought for my gran, wrapped up in tissue paper, with the tag on, waiting to be worn, but she never go the chance. 

That was my life lesson: 

Wear your pretty clothes now. 

Use your pretty crockery today. 

You never know when it could be your last day. 

I inherited a cutlery set & a teapot which my gran had used for entertaining. They had not been used in years.

I know try to use them as often as possible; so that in a way I can be close to her. 

Every time I lay the table, I have an internal conversation with my gran. Just the 2 of us. 

In Loving Memory...

Dorothy May Easton

Born 28 May 1914

Died 20 September 2003

They say that time heals all wounds - what they don't tell you is that no matter how much time passes by, the scar tissue that remains still reminds you of the pain.

It has been 7 years since my Gran died and the tears still flow bitterly.

I was on a picnic with BD when I got the call to say that "granny" had died.

Granny was there to look after me when my mom had to start working again.

Granny taught me how to knit when my mom was still dropping stitches.

Granny brought me grated apple when I had runny tummy and played rummy with me to keep me company while my thumb was in a cast after being run over my a car

Granny showed me how to bake a fluffy cake

Granny brought me coffee in bed on weekends

Granny would let me look through all her old books as long as I looked after them

Granny told me stories with a sad faraway look in her eyes about how she had always wanted to be a tap dancer but was too poor.

Granny looked after her siblings when she lost her parents by working in a box factory and never gt the chance to learn how to swim

Granny  kept the pretty jersey I bought her to wear for a special occassion, but we found it in her cupboard still with the tag on because that special occassion had not come in time.

Granny kept a toy I had knitted for her, still on her bed by her pillow even though it was over 10 years old.

Granny had stopped wanting to live after my grandfather died suddenly 9 months before and after having a stroke from the shock of it all, she told me she wanted to be with him because she missed him.
That morning, 7 years ago they were helping her drink her tea and she just closed her eyes and stopped breathing.
Autopy revealed her heart was strong, doc said she just gave up and died from a broken heart.

Granny was 89.


The next morning I had a dream that she came to me and she was happy because she was finally able to tapdance. I think that really was her telling me that she was happy again.

We miss you Granny and we will always love you.