For Granny, from Granny

My Granny past away February 16, 2000 and though it was one of the darkest, hardest seasons in my entire life, as that day was the end of a long, two year battle with Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease. My granny was the one who raised me. It wasn’t that she lived with us in our house, it was the other way around—we (mom, my brother and me) lived with HER. She was the glue in the whole family. And like most things that require glue, when glue is no longer present, things tend to fall apart. 

Well shortly after her death, my mom called me and asked me to come over because she had something for me. When I got there, she said that Granny had taken out a small life insurance policy on me and my brother Steve when we were little, and that the checks had come in the mail that day. I started choking up when she gave me the check because of the love that was behind that sentiment, that gift that would be her last to me from this earth.

So with that gift, I thought for a bit about what I would do with it, and I came up with the idea that I would buy me a guitar with it—and one that I would never ever want to get rid of, so I had to love it. I wanted that instrument to be a living tribute to her, and that everytime I looked at it, played it or even thought about it, like now, I would think of her and thank God for the treasure that she was to me. So after lots of looking and playing, I settled on a C-10 made by Larrivée, because not only was it beautiful, but it sounded amazing. I knew that was the one, because it was special, and she was special.

I could write for hours about how amazing my Granny was, and how she took care of me and taught me so much. One of the greatest things she did for me was to put me in church, and keep me in church, and she was incredibly supportive of anything I did musically, from singing in choir to playing guitar. She was my biggest encourager and just beamed ear to ear at the most minor of accomplishments I would experience in life. She was the most influential person in my entire life, and as cruel of an exit that she had in this world with Alzheimer’s taking her mind from her, she fought hard to the very end, and then went to be with Jesus.

So in the Spring of 2000, I bought my guitar and ever since then, it has been a lasting reminder of how special she was. To me this guitar is an investment in her, for her AND from her, and if it is possible that she can see me from above and hear me play it, I hope she claps like she used to when I played at the house or in church.