My brother and I always looked forward to our grandparents’ visits. My grandmother loved to take us to the mall (and we loved to go with her). In the evenings we’d always play cards - I learned so many different games from her. We didn’t have cable, so she would record programs she thought we’d like and bring them up with her. She was always thinking of us.
As we got older, I came to appreciate her quick wit and tongue-in-cheek sense of humor. She was always impressing the younger generations with how hip (and just a bit outrageous) she was.
While I was working IT for a payroll company, I learned my grandmother had basically done the same thing, 60 years before, when most people had never heard of computers. She worked as a key punch operator processing payroll for Ford. They loved her so much they offered to transfer her to Tampa when she retired to Florida (it was too far of a commute for her).
She cared deeply for her family, and her daughters (and their friends) adored her. She doted on her pets, always bringing them special toys and treats. When she visited my parents, she would always squirrel away extra treats for our dog. She only had to cock her finger at him and he would slip into her bedroom for some illicit leftovers.
She was fun. She maintained her sense of humor to the end.
Two nights before she died, I dreamed we went to the mall together. Nothing big, and I don’t remember what we said, but we were there together. She had her full mobility back, and she seemed happy, at peace.
That is how I will remember her.