Another Angel in Heaven

From time to time I have mentioned my grandmother, my last living grandparent, on this blog. She turned 85 last month and I tried to write to her often over the last 9 months after she was diagnosed and treated for breast cancer. A radical mastectomy, 6 months of chemo and 33 radiation treatments were thrust upon her but she took everything in stride and grace as she went through this past snowy, Michigan winter. This morning I found out that she had died early Friday morning, peacefully in her sleep.
When I look back on the times at her house where I would go through her scrapbooks (we share this passion for family pictures), I remember never being able to look through the scrapbook pages dedicated to the death of her husband, my grandpa. My grandma had the tiniest, tight cursive handwriting (Rich always had me read her letters out loud because it hurt his head to try and read it). Off to the side on those scrapbook pages are the words that have never left me..." On (date), the light of my life went out." That was over two decades ago...probably closer to three now. I was 10 when my Grandpa died but I remember everything about it. All those years and she never remarried, although she was a young widow and had a lot to offer. She was a WAV during WWII....a Navy pilot's wife....a mother of five....grandmother and great-grandmother. She was a farmer's wife after Grandpa got out of the Navy. She was scolded by her relatives for doing crazy things like climbing into her apple trees to get the best apples for the church apple pie events. (this was well into her late 70's and early '80's). She was a very independent woman and I really did admire her greatly.
I will be leaving to fly to Michigan for her funeral tomorrow (Easter). I hope that God will understand why I won't be at Easter services for the first time in my 37 years. I am happy I will be there to be with my family as we celebrate her life. Although I am selfishly very sad that she is no longer here, I am rest assured that she is in heaven soaring with the angels.