Remembering Meme

My grandmother died yesterday. She was 99. She outlived two of her children.

Meme was a woman of great wit. She had the sharpest tongue and made everyone laugh. She was smart and while she still could she loved doing crosswords, mots cacher and watched any sort of news program she could find. She raised 10 children, 5 girls and 5 boys. And was the matriarch of an enormous French Canadian brood. We had 5 generations of women in our family. I can't even tell you how many cousins I have. Seriously, I can't. Most of them I wouldn't even know if I passed them at the mall. My Meme was an incredibly strong woman. I'd like to believe that some of my tenacity came from her.

Meme loved to play cards. My dad's family are card nuts. I'm serious. They used to get together, put the kids in the basement, throw down some food every once and a while and play for entire weekends, sleeping in short 45 minutes stints. OK, that might be a bit of a twisted memory, but playing cards is a huge part of my family culture. I imagine at the family gathering this summer in her honour, there might be a deck or two unwrapped.

I have been very blessed to have known all four of my grandparents quite well. I'm glad that Max has that chance as well. He didn't get to meet Meme, which I am feeling very guilty about at the moment, but neither of them would have remembered or understood.

How did I honor her today? I went out and had some "Steamies." Steamed hotdogs. And a poutine. Meme loved her steamies. It was Marty's idea. I love him for that.

Merci pour ton esprit, Meme. Je t'aime.