Grammie

My Grammie and Grampie on their 50th

Today would have been my Grammie Corkum's 90th birthday. Tonite I am going out with my Dad and the family to celebrate her special day. Unfortunately she won't be celebrating with us. She passed on 7 1/2 years ago after a long battle with cancer.

My Grammie was an incredible woman. She lived at home (with my Aunt Marge after Grampie went) up until the bitter end. She dealt with many physical difficulies over the years. Her foot was crushed when she was younger. She had knee and hip problems. Cancer took her breast and then eventually took her life; but nothing ever stood in her way. She went about her daily life without so much as a groan. I remember fondly a talk we had when she lost her breast to cancer. She didn't want us to be afraid so she showed my sister and I her scar and explained why she had the surgery. Obviously she was getting on in years and her skin was not as tight as it once was so she had this little piece that came out on one side. She said to me "Look Rach! I'm growing a new one!" That was her sense of humour. She always made me laugh. She never wanted us to be afraid of things or shy away from her.

Grammie loved having her hair played with. I spent hours upon hours brushing her hair and pinning it back for her. She always wore her hair the same way. She loved to cook too. So many of her dishes I look back upon fondly. I can almost taste her fish, her cinnamon buns, her tea biscuits. She made the best food! All real traditional comfort food. We used to snap beans and shell peas from the garden. Pick strawberries and raspberries. She taught me a lot about growing things. I have certain plants in my house and in my garden that I have to remind me of her. Makes missing her not quite so hard.

Grammie loved her soaps. If I watched them with her and the couple on TV kissed she would always say something to make me blush. Kissing was so gross back then! It made her laugh to see me.

Grammie was also ambidexterous. She had great penmanship with either hand. I got my left handedness from her (that was her natural hand....school caused her to become two handed). It's something that I take pride in. She also always kept these little pink peppermints in her hutch. It was a real treat to get one of her candies.

My Grammie and my Grampie had a great love. They were both stubborn as mules; that was quite evident especially in their early years, but nothing or no one could ever come between them. They used to kiss in a certain way. They would rub noses and then kiss and rub noses again. It is truly the cutest thing you ever saw. I loved to see how much they loved one another after all those years. As they got older and infirmities set in it used to touch me so deeply how they would do all these little things to make life easier for the other.. They were the essence of true love.

My Grammie and I were both born with a terrible affliction. We call it being born with your bladder behind your eyes. We could both cry at the drop of a hat. Our yearly visit out East was always so wonderful and meaningful. Leaving them was always so hard. My Grammie and I would cry and cry forever on leaving day. Saying goodbye to her was always the hardest part. Something I never quite got over.....especially the last time.

So cute together

The last time I saw her was in 2000. I was newly pregnant with Jenna and Ethan had just turned 2. She loved to spend time with her great grandson. I know he meant a lot to her. I wish he could remember her. In 2001 her health took a bad turn. She was riddled with cancer and her body was just tired. She had fought the good fight and went to be with my Grampie. I rushed a picture of Jenna, who was a newborn, to her so that she could look upon her great grandbaby before she went. Her picture was taped beside her bed. I'm glad she at least got to see what she looked like before she died. It was a blessing that she went. She had been through so much; but it is hard living in a world without her in it. I haven't been back to Nova Scotia since she passed. I am scared to deal with the fact that she really is gone. If I go there then I have to face it. Right now I can almost pretend that she is in Nova Scotia and all is well. I plan to make the trek out there this summer and I know it will be painful...but I have lots of wonderful memories of my Grammie and I know her spirit lives on with my Grampie where she belongs.

Happy 90th Birthday Grammie. I miss you more than you will ever know. I will love you always and look forward to being with you again someday.

Love Rachel