My Grandma Jewel

My Grandma Jewel Loder celebrated her 93rd birthday yesterday. She has been living at Apple Village care center for the past 6 months so we haven't been able to see her as frequently as we used to. I miss going to my Mom's and seeing her sitting by the window, rocking quietly in her chair. She always loved seeing the great grandkids. She would playfully move toys with her cane as Annie and William chased it around her feet.

My Grandma has changed so much in the last couple of months since I last saw her. She is so skinny now since she refuses to eat anything, well, except for hot chocolate. She has always been a sweet tooth! She has forgotten most of us because of her dementia, even having a hard time remembering her own son Larry. She talks even less than she used to, but she told me she loved me yesterday as I gave her a hug when we were leaving.

My Grandma always set a wonderful example of love and sacrifice for me. She took good care of her family, making sure bellies were full and our needs were taken care of. I vividly remember her spending hours in the kitchen preparing an endless Thanksgiving feast for my entire Loder side of the family. With all of us crammed into the back patio, in the heat of the wood stove, she would finally sit down and rest and enjoy her meal in the presence of her family. She never asked for thanks or praise. She just did it because she loved us.

I love my Grandma very much. I am so grateful that she was able to live with my parents over the last few years so that I could spend more time with her. I will never forget her laugh, her smile when she saw our new babies, how she always told me to be careful going home, how she could pack away endless sweets, or how cranky and stubborn she was when you asked her to do something she didn't want to do! Her name fits her perfectly. She is our Jewel.