94 Years Young

I've always loved the month of March. Spring Break; Saint Patrick's Day; Women's History Month; March Madness (if you're into that sort of thing). It's the harbinger of springtime-- the weather changes, flowers bloom, people seem to be happier and more joyful.  Though specifically I tend to eagerly anticipate March because of birthdays - not only my own (albeit worthy of bacchanalia) but also my Grandmother's.  She was exactly 70 years older than me, so it was easy for me as a child to remember her age.  When I turned 8 she was 78; when I turned 16 she was 86; and now I've just turned 24, which means she would've been 94 years young on March 26.

Geraldine Lulu McCaleb Shultz

(here she is about my age!)

Recently I was musing on the fact that being 24 means I probably can't count myself in the early-twenties category anymore, but rather the mid-twenties, which is ever-so-close to late-twenties and teetering on 30 and that can only mean my inevitable demise into wrinkledom and orthopedic shoes.  But then I had a conversation with my mom about how fortunate I am to have already seen and experienced so many things and how Grandma lived to be almost 4x my age - imagine that.  Really.  Imagine just for a moment that you could live to be 93 - all the places you could see (over 30 places in 30 years!), all the stories you could tell, all the lives you could touch. I can't begin to think of all the technological changes Grandma saw in her lifetime: cars, television, computers, cell phones; all the history: the Great Depression, WWII, the Cold War, September 11; and most importantly the fruition of her family tree: children, grandchildren, even a great-grandchild!

The Grandkids: Brandon, Brian, Lael, Kendall, Me and Cody

I remember spending the most precious days of my youth at her house sitting at the kitchen counter watching her cook, sipping mint tea and wanting to be nowhere else in the world.  I remember laying across her lap reading stories, working puzzles with her and my cousins and feeling an incredible sense of comfort and security.  I remember learning to play cards, listening to her stories and absorbing her words as if I'd never heard them before because I knew one day I might not have the chance to hear them again. Grandma spent almost an entire century blessing this earth with her humble spirit and generous nature, and I continue to pray I can one day leave such a legacy for the subsequent branches of our family tree.  

Lael, Grandma and Me

Let us celebrate March, the coming of a new season, and the passing of an era.  Let us honor an irreplaceable and unforgettable woman, mother, grandmother, twin sister, friend who would've been 94 years young this weekend. I wanted to create this post as a platform for family members and people who knew Gerry Shultz (aka Grandma) to be able to wish another "Happy Birthday" to a woman who never stopped smiling or caring for those around her.  Feel free to leave memories, thoughts or prayers for Grandma -- because I feel like somehow she'll be able to receive all our lauding, and also because I personally believe heaven's got wifi.