Abbie Kneece

This has been a tough weekend for me. My grandmother passed away on Tuesday morning. Grandmama was my mom's mother and if you know anything about my family you might remember that my mom is one of 6 children. Grandmama and Granddaddy had 6 children in 7 years & 7 months...no twins.

Both of them were educators. Grandmama taught biology, chemistry, and I think physics. Grandmama taught me how to water ski when I was 5 years old. My grandparents have a house on Lake Murray (very cool story about how 2 teachers with 6 kids could afford a lake house but that's not the point here) and the summer that I was 5 and Elizabeth was 7 they taught us how to ski. Granddaddy or my dad would drive the boat and Grandmama would be in the water with us coaching us on what to do. It took all summer for me to learn but I have never forgotten.

Grandmama was my "outdoor" grandmother. She could tell you all kinds of information about nature. She knew about plants and trees, animals and animal tracks, and although loving and patient did not let me get away with being a squealy girl. If I didn't want to get dirty well then I would miss out on the fun. She showed me that getting dirty was part of the deal and that everything could be washed. One time when we had come to visit we had brought with us some of those big bubble wands and were outside making these huge bubbles. Grandmama commented that they looked like amoebas. I didn't know what an amoeba was and right there she gave us a little biology lesson.

She had the perfect southern accent. She was ALWAYS kind. I always felt comfortable around Grandmama. She was a good listener. My mom has a picture of her holding one of the grandchildren (there are 13 of us) and she is looking down at the baby in her arms and her face and countenance are so sweet and gentle...I will always remember that picture. She was such an example of easy grace and natural elegance...not fancy but comfortable.

Grandmama was always the one that would swim with us at the lake long after everyone else was ready to go in. She did the side-stroke. She was also willing to get up early with us and go fishing off the dock and watch the sun rise. I don't remember catching fish but I do remember spending that time with her. We used hotdogs as bait.

Grandmama and Granddaddy were a team. Granddaddy made sure that we all knew how they met and how he "threw his hat in the ring" for her. Granddaddy called Grandmama his Cinderella when they were dating and it got shortened to Cindy...that's how my mom got her name. Their's was a love that was romantic yet practical and comfortable enough for everyday use. They were a cord of 3 with their faith and love of Jesus. What an example.

So this weekend was her funeral. The service was wonderful...I cried and laughed and was able to say good-bye. It has made me think about lots of things. I am sad that Grandmama is not here but I am joyful because I know she is in heaven. I don't know what heaven is going to be like but I do know that Grandmama is there because of her faith in Jesus as her Lord and Savior. She lived her faith out everyday with everyone.

Let us hope that our legacy in this world is a love story.