30,045 Days

            How many lives can you touch in 30,045 days? More than you think. September 1920-December 2002 that is 30,045 days to be born, go to school, graduate, get married, have kids, have friends, stand by your man, have a job, have grand kids, defend your friends, cook, retire, travel, eat, love, joke, laugh, read stories, be sick, cry, sing and also dance. That is 30,045 days to create your own story. The story belongs to my grandma, all 30,045 days of it.  I stumbled across her obituary one day and there wasn't a lot printed. But I realized it would have taken a skillful author to even come close to describing the life my grandma lived, something California is lacking. I'm a mere amateur, but I will give you a brief glimpse of the best lady that lived.
               When I was little I told my Grandma that all she had to do was live until my nineteenth birthday. At that time I thought 19 was old. I told her I would be a vet, I would be married, I would  have kids, and she could be a grandmother to them. That didn't happen.  Not only am I older than 19, no kids, not married, and finishing my under grad degree, she died in 2002. I don't remember why 19 was a special number, but I figured that I would accomplish a lot in the next ten years, most of all I wanted to give another generation of  people my Grandma.
           Two of the greatest stories I have ever heard have been about her. Just to get an idea of the kind of lady my grandma was, I will share them with all of you. My Grandma attended church, and one day the Preacher went to my Grandma and asked her if she would go with him to his comedy routine. He asked her to go because of her laugh. He said it was the best laugh he had ever heard, and he loved that she so thoroughly enjoyed herself. The second story involves a thrift store where my Grandma worked.  They had been having some shoplifting, and to stop the shoplifting they were asking the employees to search the customers bags before they left. My grandma asked if she understood them correctly, she asked "You want me to search my friends?" Their reply was yes, and she left the store. My grandma was a strong lady, and had undying values, that I hope I inherited.
             At her memorial service, people from her church came, her neighbors and family came, but the most amazing thing to me was her bank tellers came. My Grandma was a riot, and everyone loved her.  My only concern that I didn't fully understand as a child was that she didn't love herself as much as everyone loved her.  I would do anything to go back in time and take away any insecurities that she ever felt.
            As kids we were pranksters, and she would laugh at our pranks and jokes. As children you quickly learn what makes people agitated, and then you repeat that action. My Grandma hated worms. When I was little I went outside and started digging, I couldn't find a worm, but I cupped my hands like I had one, and ran inside to find her. She thought it was real worm, and jumped, which made me laugh hysterically which started her laughing. After hearing about my dad's pranks, you would think she would be used to everything.
          I love the story of the day she found a desert tortoise. She was inside and saw through the window what looked like a ball so she went outside to get it and to her surprise it was a tortoise.  My grandma would tell us all the stories, we would climb  on her lap and she would tell story after story. They were mostly about camping, and I can only recall a couple out of the hundreds. I want her memory to live on, so that everyone knows how great she was. She traveled, mostly camping, she could shoot, cook, but most of all she loved to read and she loved reading.
            She wanted her grand kids to get an education, and did everything to make sure that would happen.  My education is not only for me, but it is for my Grandma.  She is up there smiling down on "Grandma's Angels."