Bubby shall rest in peace...
We lost my Grandmother, Bubby, yesterday… I know Bubby is on a new journey with the amazing loved ones that have passed before her, but it doesn’t make it easier.
Bubby was the last person living of her generation which is something that I didn’t think about until she passed. I am so lucky to have had Bubby there for me at times when I felt no one else was. She lived a great life influencing so many people for the better. Bubby is now with Tante, my Great Aunt, who passed a few years ago. Bubby and Tante were two peas in a pod and inseparable their entire lives – I have peace in knowing they are together again. So many of our loved ones have passed, some that I knew and some that I didn’t, but I know they were there with open arms to greet her and welcome Bubby to her new journey.
There are so many good times that I will hold in my heart to remember her. One of my favorite times as a young girl was to accompany Bubby and Tante to their friend’s house to play kaluki, the card game. To this day I do not know how to play, but I’d sit under the table at everyone’s feet and play with my dolls while they played cards for hours. Weekly we’d go to visit their friends Helen and Gurdy at the nursing home and eat bacon cheeseburgers from Burger King. They’d take me to the pool and carry me around as we sang “bouncy, bouncy, baby…” We'd stay up for hours at night laying in Bubby's bed while she told me stories of when she was young and laughing.
I remember when I was in Hebrew school and started putting together words I’d learned and figured out what Tante and Bubby were saying in Yiddish. The adults would speak Yiddish to keep the kids from knowing what they were saying and I let them think I didn’t know for many years!
My Bubby and Tante have always accepted anyone that was close to me as their own. It didn’t matter who they were or where they were from, Bubby and Tante would feed you; whether you were hungry or not!
I will miss the little things, like Bubby asking me when I’m going to find a nice Jewish boy to marry and have some kids. I will miss being nudged, even though I find it extremely annoying. I will miss her grabbing my cheek and saying “shaina punim!”
I need to be strong for my Mom who is an emotional mess right now. I want her to know that it’s OK to mourn this loss and it will be painful. She asked me this morning what she was going to at 3:15 and I just broke down in tears and said “talk to Grandma and she will listen from above.” At 3:15 every day, Bubby and Mom talked; it was often small talk about what the grandkids were doing in school or what was for dinner, but it kept them both going. I know Bubby is watching over us and will take care of Mom – I hope that Mom is able to heal and remain the strong woman she has been.
For as long as I can remember, whenever Bubby or Tante talked about someone who had passed they’d say “shall rest in peace” very quickly after their name. Until I was about 12 years old and finally asked why, I thought they were saying “sharing recipes” and it was confusing as to why they’d share recipes with those who had passed!
Bubby, shall rest in peace, I love you…
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on Sunday, November 28, 2010 at 8:09 PM.
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