Her Four Aces

Grandma 85 She sits across the table from the best hand she has ever been dealt Her four Aces, The greatest joy of her life Her most favoured and loved children She has not always been dealt the best hands Her early years on a farm in Alberta with her brother and two sisters Those were hard years They didn't have much but they shared what they had They made do They learned the value of hard work She left the farm just barely a girl At a time when women didn't go it alone Vancouver was her starting point A promised life of husband and children, brought her back to Alberta There, she the self taught seamstress, stitched the bits of their lives together Year after year sewing grad dresses, bridesmaid and wedding dresses Curtains for windows and bed spreads More importantly She stitched values into the fabric of their being "Work hard" "Respect other people's time" "Above all be direct and honest" "You can do and be whoever you want to be" At times they may have seen her as a disciplinarian but she did not wish to squander her perfect hand, these precious ones she was entrusted with Yet she also brought the joy of laughter She danced with abandon Her's is a life well lived Filled with love and accomplishments Designing for others and for them Rooms that captured the essence of her Meticulously placed artistry Carefully planned Balanced budgets She grasped her own dreams Now her success spills over into her children's lives She looks on with pride Sees how far they have come Her tears and worrying The years of laughter and smiles Ten beautiful grandchildren and four great grandchildren They affectionately nick name her Grandma 85 These generations share in her softer side She can be proud of a job well done Her children are capable of taking on heavy lifting For she has equipped them well To this day mom is still up for almost anything She is and always has been the adventurer Still her priority has been and still is, them Being there in times of need Although not one to coddle Yes, she has allowed them to fail at times They needed to make their own mistakes For she knew in the end it would make them stronger So today she celebrates Sits with organized cards in her hand lays them all down on the table Laughs and says "Pay up" After all she has always been A no nonsense kinda gal! I wrote this for a dear friend's mother's birthday. Thanks to her sisters and brother and her, for providing the building blocks for this piece. The nickname "Grandma 85" was given as a result of a card game they dubbed with the same name. She sounds like an amazing woman and I can tell she is greatly loved by her family.