Naomi Louise Bascue Mitchell (December 6, 1920-July 5, 2011)

Earlier this week, I found out my Grandma Mitchell passed away in her sleep at the age of 90. By coincidence, my mother had been visiting Kansas City for a few days already and gave me a bit of a warning that things had taken a turn, but still the news came with the awful finality that death brings. That was it. Grandma's labored breathing and slow build up of fluid was over. She would not be in pain or at anyone else's mercy any longer. And really, it was time. The past two years were full of ups and downs for her in the nursing home, and lots of flights back for my mom to visit and check in on how things were going. Since Elisa was born in August 2008, we've made four visits to Kansas City and each time Grandma was beside herself to see "that girl" and catch up on our lives. She may not have had the same mobility, but her mind was sharp and she definitely enjoyed seeing Elisa dance around and charm the staff. And I took pride in the fact that my own Grandma got to see me as a mother. She herself had four children and spent years working as a nurse in Independence, MO. She was a vibrant and fun loving woman who traveled widely and photographed everything. I'm sure part of my wanderlust and photography bug is attributable to her and it was for Christmas one year that she gave me my first manual camera. I can still remember leafing through a photo album she had in her house showing photos of her road trip to Mexico with my Grandpa before the war and the babies that would follow. I was riveted by her almost anthropological detail in these photos...Mexico City came alive and I wondered what possessed them to travel like that. I suppose they both enjoyed that bit of freedom and both were generous, eager people who loved making new friends and bringing their tales of adventure home. Even into their retirement, they moved to Guatemala for a year which meant Grandma had a reserve of Spanish she learned then to meet and greet Nacho's family when the time came for her to do so at our wedding. She was a true original.

I can even say that I look back fondly at all those garage sales she made me stop at with her along the way to dance practice, or a softball game. Being on time was not one of her main virtues. But then she never missed an opportunity to find some little treasure or meet a neighbor--it was just part of her social fiber. And I'm sorry that she never made it to Ireland or to Spain (two places she would have loved), but I tried my best to bring those adventures back to her in the same way she recounted her trips to Japan or Mexico. There have been many people wishing me well this week after hearing the news of her passing. And to all of them, I say thank you. The world has truly lost a special person. But still, I find it hard to mourn my Grandma's death in the traditional way. I really feel like she lived life to the fullest even into her 90s, and she touched so many lives along the way. What more can you really ask for in one life? I would be thrilled to do the same. She knew all of her grandchildren and, if the count is right, 27 of her great-grandchildren. She had an abundance of love in her life and I think she felt that right up to her last day. What a life to celebrate. I'll remember her always.