A grandchild's perspective - Megan Frame
Megan Frame is Sue's daughter.
Growing up in Rochester, Andy, Davis, and I were farther away from Gramma than her other grandchildren in Massachusetts, but we were lucky to have her join us for Christmas almost every year. When we were kids, that meant Gramma would come a few days before the 25th and stay for our entire school break until New Year's. Her arrival always signaled the start of special traditions.
Gramma was up for anything -- she would stay up late and watch movies with us, help my mom wrap Christmas presents until the early morning hours on Christmas Day, and eagerly attend so many different Frame holiday parties that people thought she actually was a Frame.
She would sing "We Wish You A Merry Christmas" at the top of her lungs while we marched down the stairs banging on pots and pans (a cherished family tradition), and she reminded us about the true meaning of Christmas - her relationship with God was a huge part of who she was, and for that reason Andy, Davis, and I loved joining her for church on Christmas Eve.
Gramma always brought the most thoughtful presents, and was deeply appreciative of everything we gave her. She would make a huge deal out of the simplest of gifts--a Clark Bar, a homemade picture frame, a new bath gel, or a cozy pair of socks. Gramma would constantly tell my Mom that she went overboard with buying her presents, but I think we all wanted each year to be more special than the last to make sure she kept coming back. It just wouldn't be the same without her.
I loved being with Gramma on Christmas morning because it meant we would get to hear from all of our cousins who called to talk with her - she was the center of our family and kept us connected. She also never let us forget how special our traditions were or how hard our parents worked to make Christmas memorable each year.
When I got older and moved to Boston, Gramma began joining me on road trips home to Rochester around the holidays. I would pick her up in Wellesley and we would load up the car with the gifts she had so carefully wrapped for everyone. She would listen to my playlists for 7 hours straight and always remark at how much she loved the music, humming along while she learned the words to Mumford & Sons, Bruce Hornsby, and Sting.
Gramma would even entertain my friends when they joined us, insisting that she buy everyone a treat at the rest stop. She was a caretaker by nature and made everyone feel comfortable. She was the best company and the definition of easy going - she had an energy about her that made each trip, each holiday better.
I'll miss Gramma more than I can put into words, and I know this Christmas just won't feel the same without her, but I like to think that she'll be joining us there in spirit, and bringing Grandpa Doug along too.
