Missing Dede

Today my family is remembering and celebrating the life of my incredible grandmother Aino "Dede" Anderson who passed away earlier this November. I am so sad to miss this occasion of sharing all of the wonderful memories of our grandmother. It's almost 1:00am here in Nazareth but I was thankfully able to enjoy a quick phone chat with many of my family members and friends who are now at the party. My Grandmother has had such a powerful impact on my life and I miss her more each day. To capture all that she meant to me is impossible with words but here I attempt to share a little ...

My memories of special moments shared with grandma Dede are countless. From lessons with the infamous “Mrs. Manners,” to evening episodes of Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy, time spent with Dede was so very impactful on my life. I know I am not alone in feeling incredibly blessed to have had her influence on my childhood and young adult years. Some of my fondest memories with my siblings also occurred in her home and presence. It still makes me laugh to remember how we actually used to bicker about which one of us would be allowed to feed the cats their hairball medicine, or how we were so careful to monitor how many M&M’s we ate after dinner (only ten permitted for each!).  I will always be thankful for the wisdom Dede so generously shared with me growing up. Of the hours upon hours of conversation we had together, my most treasured memories are of her accounts of life during and after WWII. Even now, it is unfathomable for me to imagine having just an ounce of the courage and strength she had when fleeing Estonia. Her story is one I have been so proud to share with others throughout the years, and it is because of Dede that I never hesitate to boast of my Estonian heritage. In our family, the “Estonian side” comes out in our most headstrong and determined moments. We owe this entirely to Dede. I miss laughing with Dede, I miss bonding over a shared passion for reading, I miss talking for hours. It seems I miss her more with each passing day. Her story, her character, and her strength I will remember forever and I hope to never waste an opportunity to share about the amazing (less than 5 foot) woman she was to me.

I love you and miss you Grandma Dede.