My grandma was a very strong woman. She was brave, poised, and could be quite serious. She was a complex person who had to overcome many obstacles in her life. I often think of the gravity of her life as an immigrant and mother. However, the fondest memories I have of my grandma are simple. She would sit out in the backyard in the sunshine on her porch swing. She would work in the garden with my papa John. She would give me fried smelts and dumplings in the morning. She would call me each evening to say goodnight. She would pick the lilacs each spring and put them in vases. We would read the daily scriptures together each morning to the sounds of chickadees. I would lay on her lap and she would smooth my stray hairs. She would take a bottle of matouks hot sauce to dinner with her in her walker each night. These simple memories I will cherish the most as I learn to live without her.
-Ardith
