I can still remember....

I have a horrible memory..but some things I'll just never forget. April 21, 1989 falls into that category. 25 years ago today...I was 12. I don't know what I did in the morning. But I remember emotions that came in the afternoon. I remember the weather. I remember sounds. It had to be on a weekend...I feel like it was a Saturday. I remember my brother mowing a SUPER overgrown yard and it taking him hours. I remember helping him put leaves into a bag. It wasn't our yard...or even on our street but I know we walked quite a ways up a hill then turned left to get there. (He was mowing lawns to earn money.)

I was miserably hot and probably let my brother know it. After a couple hours (I think) I looked up and saw my dad walking up the street towards us.

It spoke volumes to see him coming up that hill...something he had never done before. We never had our parents check on us or come see us while babysitting or doing yard work so I knew something was wrong.

Then came the words I never wanted to hear:

"Nonny died today"

I was 12.

I loved my Nonny (my mom's mom) so much. She lived with us three months out of the year and my cousin's (in CT) for the other nine months.

I have great memories of her sneaking me cheeto's when I was very young. She colored with me and barely pushed down on the crayon..her coloring was always so perfect. She taught me how to play 500 and we would play for hours. I just loved to be near her...I loved the way she smelled. I loved that she cleaned our house and kept it that way (she liked things CLEAN).  I loved the fancy dresses she bought me (though I now know mom and dad really paid for them).

"Nonny died today"

I was devastated. I rarely saw my mom cry and she was distraught. I was crying and didn't want to believe it. She was the first person that I really loved to leave this earth.

I wish she had lived to see me grow up, get married, and have children. I wish she could've met Brian. I wish I could have played more card games with her...and ate more Cheetos and colored.

But I have 12 sweet years of memories and for that I am thankful.