Aurora borealis, the northern lights. Aurora means dawn or sunrise, and grandma was a perfect example of a sunrise; she brought light and warmth to the world. She was a wonderful mixture of wisdom, wit and kindness.

If I had to guess, I would say that grandma thought of herself simply as a wife, mother and grandmother. She was humble and unassuming. That description doesn't adequately explain how she added zest, laugher and love to our lives. The void that is left from her passing is immense.

Grandma taught me many things; I am sure without knowing she was doing it. She taught me how priceless it was to have a grandma who was always happy to see me, who was rooting for my success, and who was genuinely interested in my day to day life. It's important to have those enthusiastic cheerleaders in your life who want nothing but the best for you.

So many of my memories are intertwined with grandma; weekends at German Lake, listening to her sing to herself and homemade cloverleaf buns. It wasn't until I was an adult that it started occurring to me what a treasure grandma was, and how lucky we all were to have her in our lives.

Thank you grandma, for everything you did to make the people in your life feel special. I miss you.