To My Dearest Grandma Daisy,
It’s been three years since you became my guardian angel. These three years have been some of the hardest years of my life. I never thought I could miss someone as much as I miss you but I do. Every year when December 9th comes along, I just shut down. I shut people out and I cry and I grieve and I pray. I pray that you are in a better place even though you aren’t with us anymore.
Since you’ve gone, you’ve missed a lot. My prom, my senior pictures, my high school graduation, my starting college, my transferring to Winthrop, us moving to Charleston. But I know that you are watching us from above. I know that you are in heaven but I’m feeling selfish and I want you back here with me. I want you to see all of the big milestones that I have coming up in the next few years of my life. I’m going to be graduating college, I’m going to be going out into the real world and hopefully finding the love of my life and starting my own family.
I took it for granted that I had a young grandma when you were here. I just thought I’d always have you and now I don’t. I never thought I’d get over it when we lost you. I remember finding out in the living room. Me and mom and dad and TJ and Katie, even Susie and Donovan were all there. Uncle Lee called and that was it. Just like that, our world had completely changed forever.
As I write this letter, I think back of all of the memories made. I think about our yearly garage sale day every summer, sitting next to you at the table for Thanksgiving, going to Mia Ma’s and walking around on the farm, falling asleep on your couch together while watching TV, talking about boys and school, and so much more. I remember the constant love that you showed me. You always put us before yourself, we were the most important things to you and I’m sorry that it took me so long to realize that.
I want to thank you for being the best grandmother that a girl could ever ask for. For always supporting me no matter what, for loving me unconditionally, for giving me a bed to sleep on when we came down to visit, and just for being you; the incredible and inspirational woman that you were.
Three years. It’s unimaginable but somehow I’ve survived. I didn’t think I would but I’m grateful to be in a good place. I’m grateful for that I got to have you as my grandmother for seventeen years. You are my guardian angel, my inspiration, my hero. I’m grateful that you gave my mom the qualities to be the same woman that you were. She has become more of my hero over the past three years and that is because you taught her how to be that way so thank you.
The holidays are always the hardest time. These are the times that we would normally spend with you and these are the times that I miss you the most. However, they are also the times that I appreciate you the most and the times that I feel like you are with me the most.
I am so proud to be your granddaughter and name sake and I hope that I have made you proud as well.
Always remember how much your granddaughter (who is now in South Carolina) loves you.
*For anyone who has recently lost a family member, don’t worry, it gets better. I know it seems like nothing could be worse, that’s how I felt but I promise, you will survive and you’ll learn to cope. The holidays will get easier.