An amazing woman recently passed away. She was not only a caring wife, mother, neighbor…she was, by all accounts, an exceptional grandmother. And although I know that she is now without pain, and no longer trapped by a crippled body, my heart aches for those left behind.
Her passing hit close to home for me; not only because she was a neighbor, but my own grandmother passed away Aug. 11, just a short three years ago. I still miss her so much, and I still catch myself dialing her number when something is going on and I need to talk to her.

Valerie Lynn Brandenburger and Vivian Lorraine Brandenburger – peas in a pod.

And so, today, I’m writing a list of things that only Grandmothers know how to do…at least mine, anyway.
1) Grandmas know how to make the world go away. It may take a homemade cookie, a walk in the garden or a “job” that needs to be completed. (Sweeping out gutters, anyone?) She knows that sometimes we just need a mundane task to work out our aggressions, or a simple snack to give us a second to think. Somehow she just knows.
2) Grandmas know how to keep secrets. Whether it’s a cookie too close to meal time, staying up too late, or the name of a crush that’s been on your mind…when you tell Grandma not to tell anyone, you know her lips are sealed.
3) Grandmas make special moments even more amazing. Going shopping? Take Grandma with, and it’s always good for a few amazing memories. Especially if your Grandma is anything like mine. She loved clothes. LOVED. In fact, for her 80th birthday she wanted a pair of leather pants. It was my mission to find some for her, and to this day, one of my favorite pictures of her is her standing in her yard, all decked out and ready to rock bingo. That lady had an amazing sense of fashion.
4) Grandmas know how to be brutally honest, all while having your best interest at heart and making off-handed compliments that could be taken in several ways. For example, my husband would always chuckle over stuff my Grandmother would say, that would probably land him in the doghouse for a few days. Such as, “That outfit looks much better than the one you wore yesterday,” or “Do you have a recipe for this? If not, don’t bother writing one down.”
5) There isn’t a problem in the world that doesn’t seem less daunting when you’re holding Grandma’s hand. Whether it is crossing the street for the first time, healing your first broken heart or saying good-bye…there is powerful medicine in those fingers. It’s the one thing that I miss the most.
I’ve heard many people comment that the reward for having children is getting to be a grandparent one day. I look forward to that opportunity (many, many, many years from now!), and hope in my heart that I am at least half as good at being a grandmother as mine. Although, I’m pretty sure I won’t go through a leather stage…
Or maybe I will.