My letter to grandma-Catie

 Dearest Grandma, 

Here is my promised letter to you :)

I LOVE YOU! I really do. It is hard to think of how to encompass all of what these three words mean in a letter, but I am going to try. When I think of you, happiness and joy are the two words and feelings that come to mind and heart. You are a wonderful woman, a strong woman, a powerful woman, a woman of influence, and most importantly you are one of my greatest women role models. You have taught me much and those lessons are ones that will always stay with me. You will always be there with me. 

There are too many memories to count! Early morning bread making at the lake covered in flour, cinnamon, and melted butter, hands stuck in dough, and the sweet smell of our delicious creations coming out of the oven for all to eat. Lounging at the beach in a swimsuit wearing your large flamboyant pink hat. Water balloon fights at dinner time. Learning how to chop wood and build a campfire. Roasting marshmallows and hot dogs on that very same fire. Playing board games at night. Yet again eating more deliciously made bread, cinnamon buns, and other baked creations. Thrift shopping. Eating ice cream at the D. Dutchmann Dairy. Long walks in the forest. Now, back in Montreal as roommates, sharing our beautiful basement space. Movies at least 2 nights and often more a week. Buying ‘contraband’ (chocolates, soda, and other candy goods) from the dollar store to sneak in and munch on. Post-viewing film analyzing and rating. Getting lost on the metro (my bad as we were too deep in analytical film conversation). Talks about the temple. Sitting together at church. Shopping for mission shoes. Me traipsing around in my newly bought mission clothes and you watching the fashion show that was me, haha. More bread and cinnamon bun making. You gifting me wonderful pieces of jewellery and sharing your love of scarves with me. Reading my poems and essays and teaching me tricks of the trade. Helping me remember that the word ‘indeed’ is not necessary in an essay although it is so very fun to say. Having important and fun talks about feminism. Being my flight buddy out to Calgary so that I could spend some time with my birth family. Having a late night chat and sharing your nice bed before my following morning car ride to Raymond. Receiving emails from you during my mission. Coming home from my mission and enjoying zoom home church on the weekly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Getting to chat with you over face-
time and on the phone. And, this was all just to name a few. 

You have touched my life in a way that no one else ever could have and have made a mark on my heart and in my mind. You will never be forgotten. You will always be remembered. I know that you will be near. Thank you for being my roommate buddy, jewellery and scarf wearing buddy, movie watching buddy, lake hangout buddy, bread baking buddy, chat buddy, shopping buddy, writing buddy, and all around everything buddy. I love you and I forever will! It has been a pleasure indeed.

Love, 

Your granddaughter, Catie