Wednesday, March 25, 2015

A time to laugh - Part 3

Oh, Whitney.....where to start with Whitney......

I guess with Greg's post, I should have prefaced with something.  My kids did have other grandparents besides my mom and dad -- Dennis' parents were wonderful and GREAT grandparents.  However, my kids only knew them for a short time.  Dennis' mom died in 1998, his dad in 2000 and my dad in 2001.  Greg has memories of all of them, but Whit's are more limited.  So basically --- my mom was the only grandparent they had.  That makes it rough -- most kids have at least two or three or more grandparents to be doting over them.  But mine didn't have that luxury.  Just didn't want anyone to think I was slighting his parents -- that is certainly not the intent.

So with all that being said -- Whit was also the only girl grandchild.  Now, Greg and Whit have this ongoing dicussion as to who is the favorite child -- they each try to outdo each other to climb the perveribal golden child ladder.  It is quite humerous to watch and listen to.  Now, we don't think of either of them any more special than the other, but I do think there was definitetly a different facet of the relationship between Whit and my mom.  Understand -- Whit was spoiled!  I don't mean normal grandparent spoiling -- I mean a spoiling like none other.  Seriously -- until the day she died, my mom would have peeled her orange for her, taken the chicken off the bone, and made her dumplins when she was sick.  True love!

Whit loved spending time with mom and mom loved it right back.  I think it was because they are so much alike -- they both LOVE to shop, they both LOVE jewelry, they are both very opiniated and don't care to share what they are feeling -- but mainly they just loved spending time with each other.

I was very fortunate when I was little that mom was able to make a lot of my clothes.  Well that didn't stop when Whit came along.  All the ruffles and lace and cute dress pics and patterns -- well, it was all frilly at mom's house that's for sure.   As a matter of fact, mom made Whit's first two pageant dresses, and a few doll clothes thrown in as well.  Mom taught her how to quilt (I'm not sure she remembers, but we do have a quilt that Whit helped on).

As Whit got older, maybe she didn't spend the night every weekend with mom like she had before, but she certainly didn't stop taking care of her, just like mom did for her when she was little. Whit was always so good to take mom to the doctor, call and check on her, take her food, clean up her house and of course, take her shopping.  They really were like two peas in a pod about that.

As most of you know, mom had given dad two wedding rings -- one she gave to me after his funeral and the other one she kept.  She had always wanted to put a diamond on his ring, so one day, we all loaded up and went to Sissy's Log Cabin.  Looking at diamonds was making me a nervous wreck -- but for those two -- well, they were in diamond heaven!  They let mom try on a $650,000 ring!!  And of course, her and Whit were trying to figure out how they could walk out of there with it!  We did get a pic, and a beautiful diamond for dad's ring.  Mom was so proud of her ring -- of all her jewelry!  She never took it off, unless absolutely necessary.  She made it very clear that when she was gone, her jewelry would go to Whit.  Seems perfectly fitting.....

I never had to worry about being at the hospital by myself when mom would be there.  Whit could tell you just as much about her medicine, her conditions, etc... as much as I could.  She would do for mom just like mom would do for her -- she would take her chicken off the bone, peel her oranges, make sure she was eating.

Mom was certainly blessed to have Whit in her life.  

I can honestly say that one of the greatest gifts that mom has left me with is how to be a good grandmother....no a GREAT grandmother... I can't think of a greater legacy.......