Courteney Cox

For as long as I can remember, my grandma has always worn her hair in a messy bun. I guess you could say that my childhood was completely shaped by her presence. She taught me how to cook, how to clean, and how to respect others’ opinions even if they differ from my own. She was a strong woman whose daily schedule included walks, gardening, and sewing. One of her favorite pastimes was dancing, and she had an extensive dance card which she would check off as she went from one dance lesson to the next. Even now, when I visit her in the hospital, she is always asking about my progress in ballet and jazz dance. Most of all, she loved to laugh and made everyone around her feel included, especially when she taught me to imitate her famous ‘laughing’ crow.’

My grandma died last year at the age of 98. She was a wonderful woman, the kind of woman whose presence you feel even when she’s not around. When I think about her life, I can’t help but smile because she had such a full and happy life. She wasn’t just my grandma – she was someone’s grandma, a friend’s mom, a neighbor’s mom, and even a stranger’s grandma. She made everyone feel like they were family, and that’s a talent you don’t learn at age 98.

A Life Well Lived

On the day of her funeral, my dad gave one of his famous talks. He started by saying that the only person he loved more than me was his wife, my grandma. Then, he described how much pain she had been in as she got older and how she had been wishing she could be with him more as she got closer to her 101st birthday. After that, he talked about how proud he was of the person she became. He talked about all the wonderful things she had done – the things that made her proudest. He said her life had been well lived, and that gave me such a boost.

When it came to her final days, grandma had made lots of plans. She wanted to see every book she had ever read and every film she had ever seen. She wanted to meet the person her favorite writer had become. She wanted to go to Italy and see the places where she had fallen in love with my dad. Most of all, she wanted to make sure everyone she had ever met felt that they were family to her. She had called my dad’s other relatives and asked them to be her guardians. They agreed, and that was that. She had my dad, her favorite writer, and his other relatives all taking care of her as she got older. It was a celebration of life, and her friends and family had all gathered to say their goodbyes and to celebrate her amazing journey.

Taking Care Of One’s Health

The last year of my grandma’s life was a tough one. Her health declined rapidly, and she spent most of her time in bed. She got weaker and weaker, and it was clear that this was the end. She never got depressed or sad, though. My grandma was a very strong woman, and she knew what was ahead for her. She talked about her health problems with her doctor and decided to take better care of herself. She started by taking her temperature every day and making sure she got plenty of sleep. She cut back on the coffee and quit drinking alcohol. She started eating healthy foods and took up cooking. She also got rid of the things in her closet that didn’t work for her anymore. As you can probably guess, my grandma had a lot of stuff – she was 98 years old and still going strong. Even now, when I visit her in the hospital, she has new things she wants to teach me.

The Importance of Community

One of my grandma’s last wishes was that everyone she had ever met feel that they were family. It wasn’t just about her – it was about the people she met along the way. In fact, it was the reason she had wanted to meet her favorite writer in the first place. When my dad told her he had written a book about her life, she was over the moon. She said it was the best present she could ever receive.

Grandma had a strong faith and thought that the closer you were to God, the less pain you would feel. That’s why she wanted to give all her love and attention to my dad. She also didn’t want to burden her friends and family with her health problems, so she had made sure that they knew what was ahead for her. Even when she was in the hospital, she maintained this desire to have everyone she knew and loved around her. She wanted to die surrounded by her loved ones, and that’s what she got. My dad held her hand as she drew her last breath. He told her he loved her and that she was his best friend. My grandma said the same, and they both cried as they watched TV together in the hospital, holding hands and babbling about all the great times they had shared. It was a beautiful and fitting end to a wonderful life.

Dancing Lessons

One of grandma’s last requests was that I learn to dance. It was something she had done throughout her entire life. She had always felt that it was important for a woman to be able to dance and express herself freely. When she was in the hospital, she was given a handicap so that she couldn’t do all the dancing she used to do. She had missed a lot of dancing lessons as a child, so being able to learn as an adult was very exciting for her. She wanted to give it a shot and see if she could still impress people with her moves. She started taking classes with a hip-hop dance instructor, and even though she was in the hospital, she worked hard to get the moves right.

For someone who had always felt lonely, grandma discovered that having a partner made the lesson more interesting and helped her to remember the moves better. She enjoyed dancing with this particular instructor because he was very patient and would repeat the steps until she got it right. She didn’t always have the strength to be on her own, but she was determined to learn how to dance and prove that she could do it. Even now, when she’s in the hospital, she makes me practice with her and asks all her friends to come visit her and see her new moves. I practice every day after school and on weekends, and she’s getting pretty good. I think she’ll be able to master a few hip-hop moves in her sleep. She’s also started taking tap dance lessons, which I think is pretty cool because she was a great dancer all her life. She even won a medal in a dance competition when she was in high school. It’s so inspiring to follow in her footsteps and bring some warmth to the end of this harsh year. She’s still trying to teach me how to be a better person and have a fuller life. I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to thank her enough for all she’s done for me. She’s been such a big part of my life, and I hope one day I can share with her all the happiness she’s brought me.