We Celebrate Grandma's 97 years!

 By: Queue Murphy
   This week we celebrated my Grandmother's 97th birthday.  There were over 50 of us ranging in age from 18 months to 97 years.  My Grandmother is a Great-Great Grandmother by my oldest son and his wife.  I am the oldest daughter of the oldest daughter of the oldest daughter of the oldest daughter of the oldest daughter (that's as far back as we can figure out).  My grandson is my Grandmother's Great-Great Grandson.  What a family line - we can't pick them, but I love them all.  Many were missing as they lived out of state, but their well wishes were with us!  
    We grew up next door to my Grandmother and Grandfather.  We called him Dzia Dzia in Polish.  Our house was a small 3 bedroom bungalow with one bathroom and 7 of us.  Whenever we had to go to the bathroom quick, we ran through the yard and used their bathroom!  Whenever I wanted to feel special (being the oldest of 5 kids, you get told to watch the younger ones a lot, and are never alone) - I would go next door and sit in between my grandparents while we watched McGyver.  My Grandmother used to take me to movies and walks with her German Shepherd (who dragged me around like a rag doll).  She wasw the fastest walker I knew and we could never keep up!  She used to start all of the water fights when we were kids at our family camp, and made wonderful birthday cakes for us.  Her Polish dinners were better than anyones!  She taught us how to Polka and sing Sto Lat (Happy Birthday in Polish).  She went to all of our sporting events and watched us for my mom.  She even named all of us after we were born.  I was named after the Saints she prayed to because my mother's first baby had died.  Whenever my kids give me a hard time she tells me:  'Don't worry honey, the first 100 years are the hardest.'  She would know - she has taken care of many of us and held us up through many ups and downs in our lives.  Always there! 
     I remember when my Grandmother used to feed me and give me baths - now we do that for her - and everytime I am washing her back, or walking slowly behind her or making her tea, I think about those times, and look at her well worn loving hands and know that they were there for all of us.  I only hope that ​