Grandma Dorothy

A couple weekends ago, my husband Richard and I had to run some errands.  While in the Wal-Mart parking lot, I noticed this elderly lady who was getting out of her vehicle.  She had two other people on both sides of her helping her walk.  She was a shorter lady.  That was the first thing I noticed, was her height.  Is this a strange thing to notice?  Probably. 

I had this instant thought of my Grandmother.  Dorothy Lindhorst.  That's who this lady reminded me of.  I don't know why.  I've been told my grandmother was a very short lady, under 5 feet!  That's probably why so many of my family members are so short.  I'm the tallest of the girls in my immediate family and I'm only 5'4! hehe 

Anyway, I thought of Grandma Dorothy.  This sweet little short lady, whom I never had the privilege to meet.  She passed away from breast cancer before I was born.  This actually makes me quite sad.  I think often about what kind of relationship we would have had.  How my life could have been different if she had lived a longer life.  I've dreamed of having the kind of Grandmother who you  bake cookies after school with, and who you share your dreams and secrets with.  I never had that chance.  

So after I saw this lady, my mind has been so stuck on Grandma Dorothy.  I wanted to learn more about her and the person she was.  I know from what my mother has said, is that my Grandma was such a warm and kind person.  She's the kind of person you just wanted to be around.  She had a very difficult life.  She was raised in an orphanage until she was 14 years old.  Then she was in foster care until she was 18.  When her foster mother passed away, she went into the Armed Services.  It makes me sad to think she never had a family growing up.  Perhaps this is why her own family meant so much to her.  She was abused and treated very badly in both of her marriages.  Yet she stood strong.  My mother says that to Grandma, her own children always came first.  She made all of their clothes, and always made sure they looked nice and clean.  

Service- Grandma Dorothy always went out of her way for others.  My mom says that they would come home from school to freshly baked cookies.  Grandma loved to bake.  She would often take baking around the neighborhood when someone was sick.  

Her favorite food was steak.  Favorite color?  That was pink!  I love that so much!  

My mom says that one of her favorite memories of Grandma was when my mom was little.  Grandma would brush her long hair, over and over.  Such a sweet memory.

Perhaps, one of my most favorite things about Grandma would be her love of music.  She loved all kinds of music.  Classic to rock and roll.  Her favorite song was classical.  Swan Lake.  You know what's even cooler?  She was an AMAZING and yes I mean an amazing pianist.  She was so good that she had her own spot on a radio station.  Now...why does this mean so much to me?  Because I have such a deep love for music.  Like for me music is not just music, but it's apart of my soul.  It means so much to me.  I play the piano, and have such a deep love for it.  I've wondered where that has come from.  Until only a few years ago I learned that Grandma played.  What an amazing thing for me to learn.  It fills my heart with such joy.  I love that apart of her has been passed down to me.  Actually, we have many musically talented people in our family, and I know that it stems from this beautiful soul that I get to call Grandma.

I feel so thankful to have been named after her.  Lots of times as a child I was teased for having my middle name as Dorothy.  There isn't a Wizard of Oz joke I haven't heard.  But you know what? I've always had this sense of deep pride when it comes to my middle name. 

I love my Grandma Dorothy, and I am so thankful for the women she was.  I am thankful for her example.  With all of the hardships she went through, she persevered.  With a smile on her face, and love in her heart.  I look forward to the day I get to meet her.  Love you Grandma.  Thank you for never giving up and for being such a strong powerful women.  I love you.