Do not stand at my grave and weep. I am not there, I do not sleep

My Grandma lost her battle with kidney failure on New Years Eve. She did not make it to greet the new year with us. 

My Grandmother was a nurse, a teacher, and mother of 6. She loved so much in her 86 years and will be greatly missed. She loved animals nearly as much as people. We believe her little dog, Jack, has been hanging on for her after being her companion of 18 years. 

I am in charge of the slide show for her funeral. This was assigned to me months ago and it just seemed too morbid to finish before. Unfortunately, I didn't anticipate how hard it would be to complete it now. Here are my favorite pictures. 

I know it is selfish, but I am so glad that she made it to see me graduate from undergrad, grad school, and get married. This is my favorite picture of us from the wedding, it's much better than the posed ones. She is telling me that my dress is so beautiful.

I like this one of her motley crew (all except my aunt who was not born yet). My Grandmother looks so happy. She has the greatest smile. The boy standing in the middle is my Dad. 

My Dad's birth mom died when he was 2 years old and my Grandmother took on him and my aunt and uncle when she married my Grandfather. They then went on to have 3 more children of their own. The family is so well integrated that I didn't know that she wasn't my flesh-and-blood grandmother until I was 12 years old. 

I'm not much of a believer in an afterlife but my Grandmother certainly was. I hope that she is happy and in peace and that she is with my Grandfather and my Aunt. 

Love you, Grandma. Always.