purple monkeys

This is my Grandmother:

Isn't she beautiful?

It's been a year since she passed away, but it seems I have been missing her longer. She began the process of leaving us a few years before her death. It wasn't Alzheimer's  or dementia really, she knew us all. But slowly she lost interest in life and became harder to engage in conversation. She didn't always remember some things, like the names of the folks she played Bridge with. But she always knew her family. And she always managed to summon up a smile for us.

She loved us I know, but she was just tired. She had outlived 3 husbands and her brother, and all her friends. So, she slowly gave up the fight. It just took longer for her body to get the message from her spirit. It was time to go. Oh, how I miss her.

"What in the world does this have to do with purple monkeys?", you may be asking yourself. Everything. A few weeks ago I saw this ridiculous purple monkey hanging from a hook in my local grocery store. And instantly I thought of my grandmother. Not because she had any interest in monkeys. First it was the color that caught my attention, purple was her favorite color. Then it was the silliness of it. It would have made her laugh to see his silly purple self. She would have gotten a kick out of that monkey.

Of course, I had to buy him. He hangs from a hook above my side of the bed. And he makes me smile and remember the good times with my Grandmother. The times when we laughed over silly things and shared jokes and stories. The good times with a woman who was so much more than my grandmother. She was my friend, my confidant, and my biggest fan.

So, I am grateful for  purple monkeys and happy memories that out weigh the sadness.

Silly monkey face!

And those silly, huge feet! :)