A year ago, my gram joined grandpa. She left a wonderful legacy. Two children, two grandchildren, four great-grandchildren. I flash moment to moment on scenes from childhood and weekly evenings spending the night, to adulthood chatting on the phone, to parenthood watching her crawl on the floor with the new babies (no matter her age, or how frail, she would get down on the floor, play, and take such joy in being with the babies.).
A local photographer by the name of Tom Johnson happened upon the above scene one day. He was out photographing his hometown, Lakewood, California. Putting together a photographic display depicting life in this place he loves. One day he saw this elderly woman, dressed for a day out, watering the grass. Unable to find a garden glove, in advancing stages of dementia, gram didn't let that stop her as she protected her hand with an oven mitt.
Legacy. Gram and grandpa moved to California from South Dakota during the Dust bowl. They would travel home to visit relatives with their young family and to visit friends and family in and around California. But their time was not spent traveling afar. It was spent creating and nurturing a family. Now, gram has been on exhibit all over the world. Most recently in a show in San Diego where the photo of her was picked by an associate curator of the Getty. This week she is in part of the display opening in Paris.
In life and in art, gram's impact is immeasurable.
Please do read the link about Tom's encounter with my grandmother.
