Mourning Abroad

Hello internet world! I know that those of you following from America are expecting pictures and stories from Cameroon. While I do have pictures and stories from here, there is something much more important and much more consuming right now. For those of you who don’t know, my grandma (aka Grandma Me) passed away on Friday after she lost her battle with cancer. While I rest assured in my grandma’s steadfast faith, I have been riding a roller coaster of emotions the past few days. So this post is dedicated to Grandma Me.

Some of you have met my grandma, but many of you have not. For that, I am extremely sorry because she truly was an amazing woman. Growing up, we would go to her house every summer, but it was never in the same place. She moved from state to state to work for various Girl Scouts councils. As a child, I always thought that she had the greatest life, especially when she lived in Connecticut (There was a pool there!). It was only recently that I learned that my grandma was actually RAN these councils. How amazing is that? I cannot even imagine the number of lives she impacted during her career. She also started taking classes online and finished her master’s degree when she was sixty-eight. She was what I like to call impressive!

Grandma Me also cared deeply for everyone around her, especially our family. I was constantly encouraged by her relationship with my mom. They would talk multiple times every day about everything and anything. Every time that I called my grandma, she had another interesting tidbit to add to the conversation. What truly amazed me about the way that Grandma Me showed love to others was that she would be truly interested in what they are interested in. She would talk to me about social justice issues, especially issues concerning refugees, because she knew that I cared about these issues.

For now, I am replaying the memories of my grandma in my head, wishing I could be home to comfort and be comforted by my family.

Even here in Cameroon, I have visible reminders of my grandma and the beautiful sunflowers she loved so dearly.

 

 Thank you for reading, my friends. From Cameroon with love, Beccah