Lila Shank - Grandmother Extraordinaire

I wrote this on the weekend, as I reflected on the life of my Grandma Lila Shank and remembered the wonderful ways she touched my life. What a gift she was to me. Thanks be to God for that wonderful woman!

5/24/09
It has been a few days since Grandma's funeral. I've been thinking about her a lot, especially thinking about the model she was for me as a mom. Like Grandma, I really enjoy having a large family and I even look forward to many grandchildren. There are many trials and challenges that come with a big brood, but the blessings are far greater. Each one of our little Bailys adds much to our home. I'm thankful for each one.

My grandmother did a wonderful job of being available for us. She was always around, and that was a comfort to me. I knew that if I got sick and my mom was had to work, Grandma would be home and she would take care of me. When we were at her house playing, I knew that if I needed anything at all, Grandma would be there to help me. I felt free to play all day in the comfort of her presence. She was there, available, and that meant a lot.

For Grandma, children were never an intrusion or annoyance. She was glad we were with her: she valued us. She got pleasure from serving us, making us meals, mending our things, making us play dough. She wasn't so busy with the things of this world, that she had no time for us.

On the contrary, her family was her priority and she willingly gave of herself. She made us feel important. She include me in whatever she was doing. I have her to thank for knowing how to play solitaire and bingo. I remember sitting with her as she taught me how search for words and circle them. She sewed with me. I remember her making me my most favorite doll dress for my cabbage patch kid. She put that little dress together in no time and it was just as I described to her.

I pray that God helps me to stop from my busyness and take time to play with my kids, to sit on the couch or at the table and teach them how to do word searches and crosswords. I want to stop what I'm doing to really listen to my kids and to help them with whatever important thing they have on their mind. I want to include them in the work I'm doing, and not put them off because their "help" is innefficient and often messy.

It's especially in the kitchen that I think of Grandma. Every time I make bread with my kids, I tell them about her and how she always let me help her knead her dough and how good that bread tasted with butter and jelly. Using her rolling pin to make pie crust or cookies, I can almost see her rolling something out on her kitchen table. I always remind the kids where that rolling pin came from. When I make a batch of playdough, I remember sitting at her table dumping out blue or green dough from the old butter tub she stored it in. I remember her standing in her apron cooking or doing dishes, while I sat there in my own play world, making little dough people or dough pizzas. I'm glad I have such strong memories of her and that I can share those with my children.

Thank you, Grandma, for having time, time to invest in me, time to talk to me, time to play with me. I pray that the imprint you made on my life will carry on to my children, their children, their grandchildren, and beyond. I pray that your legacy with live on for decades to come.