Day 193:
What a rush of a holiday season. Time flew by between end of the year work deadlines, training and certifications, family and extended family gatherings, and then a funeral. I know this is a quit site and the topic usually centers on that but I would like to take a moment to honor the soul of a remarkable and simple lady, my grandmother.
Born today, January 4, 1921 and born into eternal life yesterday, January 3, 2013. A child born into poverty, dropped out of school to work at a factory to support an ill mother and her siblings. The youngest of 5 children, she maintained that role and honored her family until she met my grandfather. A man of similar circumstances, he dropped out of school at the age of 9 to manually haul steel for a company he would dedicate 56 years of his life to. She met him and they wed in 1944. They raised 4 daughters, put them all through college on an income of one. She taught them how to be ladies, how to honor your husband and family, and, above all, how to remain faithful and diligent to your faith. She remained steadfast and strong through trials and tribulations. She influenced me more than I ever let her know. Together they touched the lives of a community for 63 years until he passed into eternity. She missed him every day and longed for the day they would reunite and continue to see their legacy play out. Well, on December 30, 2012, he came calling again and asked for her hand. She obliged and, knowing she had given us all the tools we needed, passed from this world into her home and into the hearts and minds of us she leaves here. Helen Rose Steinbrener, you are one amazing lady. Your spirit and love of family and life will stick with me for as long as I live. As long as you and grandpa are looking down on me, I pray you guide me in the path of right, inspire me in the ways of old, and ease my anxieties about the future. I love you.