Happy Birthday

My Grandmother Florence was by far the most important influence on my life and person. She was an amazing woman who was funny, caring, and tough as nails. She worked when women were still expected to stay home and raised 4 children by herself. Despite all of the difficulties in her life, she lived through the Great Depression, 2 World Wars, and other historic times, my grandmother never lost her sense of humor. In fact she could make an entire room light up in laughter at her jokes.

She was a daughter of a steel worker, who would read by latern after his shift. My Grandmother often joked, that like her father she would spend her last dollar on a book. My Grandmother and I would go to the library when I was a little girl. She would let me get a armfull of books, and she would get one as well. We would sit at her apartment and she would read to me with her soft crackly voice. She instilled her love of reading in me, which is a great gift.

My Grandmother was on her way out to dinner and was dressed very nicely, when she encountered a bum on the street outside of her apartment building. He asked them for a cigarette or something of the like. My Grandmother looked at the filthy man and walked over to him and gave him a warm hug. The man was shocked and began to tear up. When my Uncle asked my Grandmother why she had done that (he was rather angry at her risking herself); my Grandmother replied, "He looked like he needed a hug."

I miss her and hope I still make her proud. :-)