My Grandma

Lucy Louise Bax

March 18, 1943 -July 13, 2011

As powerful as words can be, there really are no words to adequately express the measure of a person’s life, or what they meant to us. Lucy Bax was my grandma and being the oldest grandchild I was able to have her as my grandma for 26 years. It’s hard to think that there will not be any new memories with her created, but I will forever cherish the memories I have.

First Peter 4:9 says “Be hospitable to one another without complaint.” She followed this instruction well. As her grandchild I knew I was always welcome in her home and she made me feel so loved while I was there. Even though grandpa has diabetes she still kept sweet treats in the house for us kids to eat by hiding them in the closet so grandpa wouldn’t eat any.

My grandma’s mom passed when I was 10 years old leaving her grandchild Tina, who was my age, without a grandma. I remember Tina telling me she would just call Aunt Lucy grandma because it would be easier. I think she wanted to call Lucy grandma because everyone wanted her to be their grandma; she was that great of a grandma.

When she began her photography business she would let me and my sisters come with her to her shows. I learned some very valuable business lessons during that time. I remember one show she told my sister and me that for every $100 worth of pictures she sold, we would get $1. To a 10 year old, this was a great deal. So we worked all day trying to sell her pictures. In the end, she sold over $1000 (which I think at the time was the best she’d ever done) and we got $10. It. was. awesome.

Grandma was the oldest child and definitely took on the role of the typical oldest. She was the planner of the family. She would plan all of our family camping trips. I remember during those camping trips she would bring a big poster with intricate designs on it for the grandkids to color. She always had the coolest markers and would let us stay in her trailer while coloring; which was always such a treat.

When I turned 16 they took a friend and me on a cruise to Mexico. Can you imagine how brave they were to take 2 16 year old, boy crazy, girls on a cruise to Mexico? But my grandma planned everything and we had such a wonderful trip.

In college I was contemplating applying to a program that would allow me to study abroad in Spain but I was afraid to go. Grandma told me she’d lived most of her life letting fear dictate what she did and she finally decided she didn’t care about what other people thought and she didn’t want me to let fear dictate my life. Because of her, I applied and went, and was forever instilled with the same love for travel that my grandma had. In fact, while in Spain my grandparents were in Europe also and we met in Rome for a few days. Traveling with them was so much fun –even if I did have to sleep on the floor of the bed and breakfast.

It’s difficult to say good bye to the grandma I loved so much, but God was ready for her and who am I to argue. Thank you God for the time I did get to spend with her. She was a very special woman and we were all lucky to have known her.