Hello, and welcome on behalf of myself and my family, to this memorial and celebration of my grandmother’s life. Family, extended and immediate, official and unofficial, and community meant a lot to her. If she were here, she’d act embarrassed and probably tell us we shouldn’t make such a fuss, but secretly she’d be pleased to see you all here.
I’d like to say something about my grandma. I’d like to dispel the notion that Nancy was a superhero, with superhero powers to match. Judging by all the incredible and true things you will hear today, it would be easy to make that mistake.
Nancy had flaws. If you knew her well, I’m sure you can think of some. But the way Nancy always stepped up to do what needed to be done and to love who needed to be loved wasn’t the result of superpowers. These were choices she made and skills she cultivated. She also didn’t do any of it alone.
Nancy worked in community. Sometimes she failed. Sometimes she succeeded. Just like all of us, sometimes she thought later she should have gotten involved, or she should have done more. Just like all of us, sometimes she would overextend. Sometimes she made mistakes. Just like all of us. But she kept going.
To me, one of the lessons here, besides laughing hard and the beauty of a sharp wit, is that to be an amazing person like my grandmother does not take a superhero. It takes all of us, doing our best, not shutting our eyes, our hearts, or our minds, and working in community, together, to do what’s right. We owe that to ourselves, and to Nancy’s memory.
Oh, wait. I was wrong when I said my grandma didn’t have superpowers. She did have one, and that was being our grandmother. She will always be unsurpassable at that.
Thank you.
