This was the eulogy that I wrote almost a year ago in honor of my grandmother who died December 16, 2009 at the age of 94. I wrote this on behalf of my father who I am sure would have given the most beautiful eulogy in honor of his mother had he been alive. May he also rest in peace."A Saint"
When speaking about Grandma to others, I have always freely and without hesitation, referred to her as a "saint." I looked up the word "saint" in the dictionary and it says, "a person considered holy and worthy of profound honor and respect."
It was January of 1993 while I was here visiting my father that I spent a night with Grandma. Throughout the course of hers and my evening together, I would have to interrupt our precious time together in order to tend to my most powerful and long lived addiction. There I was in the dead of winter smoking my cigarettes out on her patio. She would lovingly and patiently wait for me inside until I was finished.
It was about my third cigarette break that night when I suddenly had a moment of clarity. I went inside her house and without reservation, I shared with Grandma my deep desire to be free from that addiction...that I wanted so badly to be able to wake up that next morning and never smoke again. Grandma quickly grabbed onto me, then lovingly pulled me into her arms and told me that she would pray for me that night.
The next morning when we woke up, I thanked her for our beautiful evening together and for all of her prayers. Miraculously, I never had another cigarette since that night at Grandma's 16 years ago.
We were related to...we were friends with...and we were adored by a saint. The love for us that lived in her heart was so big that it pained her.
She embodied unconditional love...she mastered the art of giving...she lived her life in prayer...and she held no judgement.
We felt the blessings of her love in her homemaking, we felt the blessings of her love in her laughter, we felt the blessings in her gentle and adoring eyes and most of all in the humility of her peaceful presence.
We will continue to feel her blessings as we go on in our lives recognizing her magnificent love that resides within us and continues to manifest in all of who we are.
I think that I can speak on behalf of all of us that we are eternally grateful to her three sons, my father Bruce, may he rest in peace, Dennis and Duane and their wives for taking such incredible care of her all of these years. Thank you so very much.
The legend of her love lives in all of us and I could not be more blessed to be here witnessing the beauty of her spirit within all of you and your families.
And finally, after Grandma gave us all...the gift of...the greatest love that we could ever know here on this earth, we now bless her as she finally receives the heavenly gifts that she so deserves.
As we celebrate the spirit of Christmas, which was one of her favorite holidays, let us also celebrate the purity of and the beautiful spirit of Anna Maria Helena Dammeyer.
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