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I have this perfect, brown and white shell that for as long as I can remember has been sitting on my dresser. I always wondered where it had come from, but I would always forget to ask. The other day it started bugging me and I needed to know the answer. So, I decided to ask my mom since she is the kind of person who would probably know. When I asked her, she said, "This is from your great-grandma Isla! How do you not remember when she gave this to you, you usually remember everything!"
My great-grandma Isla was 106, and she was going to be turning 107 in November. She passed away last Saturday at 4:15 in the morning. She was such an amazing woman, and she didn't even need help walking until she was 104! By the time she died, though, she was in a wheelchair. I loved my great-grandma so much, and she was always so sweet and nice. She always believed in God, and right before she passed away she told our family members that she was ready to go. We all miss her very much.
Sadly, the last time I saw my great-grandma was almost two years ago. A couple of months ago my family went to Michigan, where she lived, to visit her. Since I was at camp, I wasn't able to go with them. I wish I had gone so that I could have seen her one last time, but none of us knew before we left that it would be our last time ever seeing her.
Now that she's gone, there is so much I wish I could have asked her about her life growing up. She was born in 1902! She was alive before cars and telephones were popular, and way before computers! Her family was even the first one in their town to own a car. She lived through so many events, like World War II. She was already 30 by the time the Great Depression started! Although she did tell us some stories about when she was younger, I've realized how many things I wish I had asked her now that it's too late.
My great-grandma Isla has made such a big impact in my life. Inside, I will always know that she was such a special person. She was such a great lady, and she will always be a big piece of my heart. I will never forget her, and even though she is gone I still love her very much.
Right after my mom told me where the shell had come from, I remembered when she had given it to me. She was showing us all of the different things she kept in her room, and I found a bunch of shells in one of her drawers. She saw me looking at a brown and white one, and told me I could have it. It was such a pretty shell! "Me and my dad used to look for shells in Florida, and I have kept all of them and still have them today," she said. As soon as she gave the shell to me, I took it home and it has been on my dresser ever since. Now I can always remember her when I look at that shell, and I am so glad she gave it to me! Instead of being sad about her death, thinking about how great of a life she had really makes it easier. We miss you Grandma Isla and we will always love you!
-bkkea
Author's Note: I am not trying to offend people who are not Christian, but I just put it into the article because my great-grandma was very religious and was Christian herself.
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