I know I'm annoying now, but you'll miss me when I'm gone

Tell me... Who does this picture remind you of? (if they had a daughter)

First, let me tell you, my grandma was a grumpy grouch!!!  She complained about everything.

One thing she ALWAYS used to say to my mom was "I know I'm a burden now, but you'll miss me when I'm gone."

Oh boy do I!!!

My grandma passed away some 10 or so years ago (honestly, I don't remember, but I know it was when my husband and I first got together, and we've been together for 11 years...)

I miss her dearly!!!

This is my grandma in her PRIME... maybe 20's or 30's

When I was growing up, my grandma lived with us.  Always.  From the time I was a baby, until the day she passed, she lived with my mom.  It was normal to us.  Most of my cousins barely saw her, except for weddings and stuff, but I was blessed.  I saw her every day.

  

This is my grandma, in 1998, at my older son's baby shower.  Next to her, is my aunt, Jasmine, who left us just a few months after this.  This was the second to last time I saw her.

I'm writing about her for 2 reasons.  First, her birthday was a few days ago, so she's been on my mind.

Second, I've joined a 'cause hop'.  It's basically posting about a specific cause.  This month, March, is Cancer.

Why my grandma, on a cancer hop?
Well my grandma had breast cancer.  when I was growing up, she wore that special bra, because she'd had a double mastectomy.

I saw her scars once... it scared me.  It made me want to be checked, often when I grew up.  I regularly do self-checks.

Cancer runs in my family.  It's a scary thing to say, but it's true.  I remember having a conversation once with my grandma, and asking about her brothers and sisters...  Her parents were born in Italy, and her aunts/uncles were.  She told me once how pretty much everyone died of some huge lump.  One had a baseball sized lump on his side, one had a lump on her breast... now granted, this was before  "CANCER" was known... this was before you went to the doctor for a lump... you just, well...had it.

Now, we're more concious than ever about the "big C".  There are drives and walks and all types of research.  We are all, as a society, concerned about this.  Of course we are.. people die from it.
And, what's worse, is people die FROM THE MEDICATIONS given to HELP it...

It's like this horrible lose-lose situation... While cancer can go in remission, of course...  too many die from it.

So this post, is dedicated to my grandma.  I miss her like crazy.  Here's a picture of her, I'm sure you'll enjoy.