Grandma Sharon

It's the holiday season, the time we think a lot about our family, especially the ones that aren't with us this time. This summer we lost our Grandma Sharon, and I've just been thinking a lot about her lately. Maybe it's her infamous green jello salad that pops up every Thanksgiving.

 

My girls will remember that every time we went to visit Paul & Sharon for the holidays, Grandma Sharon would show them back to her "girls room" where she had saved a lot of old toys for grandchildren to play with. And just about every time, she would find something to let the girls take home.

 

My girls will remember that Grandma Sharon was a remarkable artist. She had beautiful artwork around her home, but we were most excited about the carousel horses that she was commissioned to paint at the Independence Park. Rough Rider and Faerie Cyan.

We will remember our fabulous tropical vacations together - to Antigua in 2010 and St Croix in 2012. Claire used to think Grandma and Grandpa lived on an island, because those were her best memories with them!

My favorite memory from St. Croix was when I was searching the complex for Lydia before dinner, and I found her with Grandma Sharon. They were both sitting on her bed, drawing pictures, and even using her professional colors! She did a beautiful sketch of Lydia with her crazy curly hair. I was almost upset I interrupted them for dinner because they probably would have enjoyed spending the whole evening there drawing.

 

 I remember one time sitting on the pool deck looking out at a beautiful sunset, and while I was busy taking pictures with my kids, Sharon was just looking at the sky. We stood there in silence for a minute, and she then described to me how she would paint that sky. She talked about beginning with color, and then removing the color where the clouds were. It was fascinating to me, and it was one of the few times I saw the artist in her and appreciated that she has a gift for seeing beauty. She really did appreciate the beautiful things in this world.

 

 The Viets boys have some funny stories about Grandma Sharon from growing up, but that's because they were mostly obnoxious boys ;) She would talk to them about their bad habits, and as kids they hated that, but as an adult, Josh sees that everything she did or said was to try and help them because she loved them. We do that as parents.

For me, Sharon was my rock at a very difficult time in my life. When Josh and I were married there was discord between our families because of our religion and temple marriage, causing a lot of confusion and pain for both of us and our families. But in the middle of everything, Sharon was there for me, with a loving smile, hugging me and reassuring me that everything would be fine. She was my angel that day, and in the years to follow she always made a real effort to make me feel welcome, comfortable, and loved.

 

Grandma Sharon was a great woman of faith, leaving world at peace, reassured that her loving Heavenly Father was there to bring her home. She's busy doing an angel's work now, just as she was for many of us down here.