Tuesday morning I woke up and wrote the letter below.  I then shared it with family & friends as we lay to rest my Grammy O'Dea.

Dear Reed & Fiona,

99years seems like a long time. But it's not long enough.  It's not enough time for you to discover for yourselves how dynamic of a person your great-grandmother O'Dea was.  It's important for me to honor her and keep her alive by sharing my memories of her with you.

As long as I can remember Grammy O'Dea appeared so fragile that you'd think simply by touching her she'd crumble.  Quite the contrary. She was an extremely strong women.  Like a lumberjack she'd chop, haul and split trees on a regular basis.

She will always and forever be the Boston Red Sox #1 fan.  Hands down.

Gram loved toys and playing.  She always ranked as my favorite babysitter because she'd continuously play with me.  and better yet, she truly enjoyed it.  I can't help but believe her youthful heart contributed to her longevity.

I love that she taught me how to respect the American flag.

She may have been known to stuff a few crackers, maybe a dinner roll in her purse from time to time.  Reminding us that we paid for it.

She was a historian of sorts, clipping and collecting newspaper articles.  Preserving special moments of her family and friends.

She loved music, I especially remember Irish and patriotic songs being favorites.  She had an equal passion for poems and prose.

Your Great-grandmother was a flirt.  We would tease her because every time we went shopping it was guaranteed to find Grammy sitting in the middle of the mall with a man.  This typically younger man was always captivated, amazed by her wit.

Grammy was always proud of her grandchildren and shared their triumphs with me, keeping our family connected.

Kids, there are so many tings you need to know about your great-grandmother O'Dea.  Over the course of your lives I will share with you everything I can remember about her.  What is most important for you to keep close to your heart is...The blood of a strong Yankee women runs through you.

Be Proud

                                                                 

                                                                                                     I Love You,Mom

                                                                                                                   

We all have many wonderful memories of our time shared with Grammy.  I encourage us all to keep her legacy alive by sharing these times with your children and of course with each other.