by Becky Vieira posted in Parenting

My grandma passed away when I was pregnant. It was about six months after her 100th birthday -- a milestone she referred to as when she was "starting to get old." She never met my son, but she knew I was expecting and what his name would be.
In fact, the first time I felt him move I was sitting at her bedside two days before she passed. I took her hand and placed it on my stomach. I somehow knew it was the first and last time two of the most important people in my life would interact. It wasn't fair.
A few months before that moment I'd filmed her reaction to learning I was pregnant. The video is something I treasure. Her joy and excitement are infectious.

I could go on about how amazing she was, or how close we were. The crazy adventures we had in Puerto Vallarta on vacation. Or the time we shared when I moved in with her after my divorce. But then I'd just start crying, and that?s not what this is about. This is about how I am working to ensure she is a part of my son's life. Even though they never met. We talk about her, I point out the things in my house that once belonged to her and my grandfather. She?s an important part of his daily life.
My grandmother was always generous and loved to give her grandchildren presents. As I got older she?d give me money for birthdays and holidays. A card would include a thoughtful message, followed by the instruction to "buy something fun." I'd never cash the checks, so she st...