Grandma Lightner

On July 27th, 2007, She left this world and passed to the next.

But, before Grandma Lightner left, She taught Him:

• That the Best Turkey and Noodles He Ever Tasted is made with a picked-over, left-over Thanksgiving Turkey that Most People would throw away.
• That you can't stop stirring the Cream of Wheat (with real whole milk and lots of sugar) while it's cooking - if you want to Make it Right.
  
• That a back yard is never too small for a Ferris Wheel.
• That a real Easter Brunch involves lots of Strawberries Dipped in Dark Chocolate.
• That the high diving board really isn't that high.
• That a wood fireplace warms more than a room at Christmas time.
• That pit bulls are "just playing" when they bite your ankles.
• That some refrigerators have these fancy things called "ice makers" - but you can still fill the old ice trays with lemonade and make your own popsicles using some of Grandpa's toothpicks.
• That a tree swing is more fun than an Atari game.
• That poison ivy grows in the backyard. Lots of it. And it really itches for a really long time when you get it on you.
• That electric fences kinda hurt when you touch them.
• That everyone should travel overseas at least once in their life and bring those experiences home to share with others.
• That it's ok for Grandpa to have a stack of Playboys in the basement, "cause the articles really are good."
• That women today aren't nearly as glamorous and elegant as they were forty years ago.
• That it takes a really long time to mow a really big yard with a push lawnmower in the middle of a humid Kansas summer day - but, seeing Her smile at how nice that big, freshly-mowed yard looks, after, is a reward in itself.
• That it takes even longer to rake all the leaves in a really big yard - but in the end there's a really big Pile of Leaves to play in.
• That you never get too old for a good Grandma hug and kiss.
• That some people really don't need cable tv.
• That letting Someone else help you get up some stairs, get into a car, or even walk to the bathroom can make that Someone feel really good about themselves for a very long time.
• That at 90 it's still Important to get your hair "done" every Saturday.
• That it's OK to think that your Grandma is beautiful.

And most of all:

• That you don't have to be born into a Family to be part of a Family.

These are the Lessons That Grandma Taught Him.

These are the Things He Learned From Her that have made him a Better Person.

These are the Memories of Her that He will carry close to his heart for the rest of his Days.