I wanted to share the wonderful tribute my sister Bethany Wiseman wrote to my grandma. She did a wonderful job! (Bethanys Tribute) While I can’t be there in person to celebrate the life of the lady who, other than my parents, was the most influential person in my life, I would be remiss if I didn’t say something. Thank you, Kelli, for being my voice. Most people knew that grandma and I had a special bond. However, what most people don’t know is that when my parents announced to her that they would be having a 4th child she was not exactly thrilled about the news. They already had a healthy boy and girl, and with all moms’ heart problems, she couldn’t understand why they needed to have another one. But once I arrived she realized God decided to pull a fast one on her, he made me just like her! When I was little grandma’s friends always used to say to me, “you look just like your grandma.” To which I would reply, “No I don’t, I don’t have grey hair and glasses” (I can’t say that anymore). It wasn’t until I was a little older and saw picture of grandma in her military uniform that I saw what everyone else saw. There was no denying it; I am Bertha Wiseman’s granddaughter. I have a picture of grandma in her Army uniform on my desk at work and countless people look at the photo and say, “Bethany, I didn’t know you were in the military.” But, besides resembling her, grandma and I just had a connection. Growing up grandma was a part of everything we did. We never really needed to have a babysitter because grandma was always willing to do it. Mom would drop us off at her house in the morning before work and grandma would allow us to spend hours playing in her home office, wreaking havoc with the Painter twins in her ceramic shop, or trekking snow in her house after coming in from sledding. When we got a little older and started going to the Sligo pool during the summer time mom told her it would be ok if she wanted to drop us off and leave. But that wasn’t grandma’s style. She would sit in the pavilion overlooking the pool and just watch us or read her Bible for hours. However, the memories that will remain the fondest to me will always be our one-on-one time. We had set dates for every Friday night and Tuesday morning. From as little as I can remember through middle school I spent every Friday night with grandma. The two of us would chat and watch TGIF together. On Saturday morning’s I always woke up to a pancake breakfast and we would watch cartoons together. Then, grandma and I would get ourselves together and bake something to have for dessert after Sunday lunch. When Tuesday would roll around grandma would pick me up in her Jeep (or whatever car she was sporting that time) and we would rock out to Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn’s “Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man” on our way to Clarion. When we weren’t listening to the radio grandma and I would have a duet and sing our favorite songs. Our trips always consisted of breakfast, grocery shopping, lunch, and browsing the toy isles. Grandma always made sure I came home with goodies for the rest of the kids too. After I started kindergarten grandma pushed back her shopping time so we could spend Tuesday’s together. When I spent time with grandma she did what a grandma is supposed to do; made me feel like I was the only person that mattered during that time. We talked about everything! She told me stories about her family, growing up in Kissinger, and about her time in the military and all the fun she had in Washington DC. When I moved to the MD/DC area grandma loved hearing about the different areas and seeing how things have changed and remained the same. When grad school and my career took me away we would catch up over the telephone and always planned a shopping trip when I got back into town. When grandma began to decline a few weeks ago I was in denial when mom tried to convey to me the seriousness of the situation without actually saying it. Nobody wants to hear that one of their hero’s is fading away. After seeing a picture of grandma with her favorite accessory, her great grandchildren, I finally saw what mom was avoiding directly telling me, grandma wouldn’t be with us much longer. While I didn’t know I was coming home, grandma had already informed my mom and the nursing staff that I would be coming to visit her soon. I was able to make some arrangements to come back home for a few days and spend one last Tuesday with grandma. Our last Tuesday was not like the other carefree Tuesdays we spent together, this was our final Tuesday, and we both knew it. We spent that day like we did the next few days, holding hands and just talking. When the morning came that I had to leave to come back to California, It was time for grandma and I to address the elephant in the room. It’s not easy to find the words to say thank you and tell someone how much you appreciate everything they have done for you. The great thing about grandma is, she already knew. Grandma assured me that we would both be okay and that she wasn’t going to cry when I left. I did not make that same promise to her. The final goodbye was one of the hardest things I have ever had to do, but I’m glad I got the opportunity to do it. I will miss seeing her in her crazy hats, hearing stories about Captain Mackin, hearing her pray out loud during our Friday night sleepovers, seeing the excitement on her face as her great grandkids opened presents on Christmas morning, and going to the Glass Plant reunions and Family reunions. I will miss hearing hear say “there’s my Buffy” and I will miss countless other things that were unique to grandma. I will forever be grateful for the lessons I learned from her. Grandma helped instill my sense of adventure and she taught me what was right and wrong. I also learned the importance of being independent but knowing when to rely on others. I may have even developed a little bit of her stubbornness. Grandma was very influential into making into the person I am today, and I will be forever grateful for that. I will always love and miss her and I am a better person for having her in my life. Grandma, while I am sad that your mission on earth is complete I rejoice in that fact that you are now in your glory, Great Is Your Reward. Now go spoil another Wiseman granddaughter. And once again, THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING!!!!
Posted on: Tue, 03 Jun 2014 02:39:40 +0000
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