Morris Family in Mexico: A Memorial to Grandma Morris

I’ve been mulling around this post since Grandma Morris died a little over two weeks ago. Maybe I’ve been putting it off, because it’s sad. Or maybe I’ve been savoring the thoughts of her as I write and rewrite the words in my mind.

My first memory of Grandma Morris is that she spilled the beans that Ben liked me. Isn’t that a great first memory of someone? Ben and I had been quasi-dating for a long while, but Ben being the secretive man he is, had been keeping whether or not he really liked me to himself. So while I had my hopes set high that he liked me, I never knew—until one of Ben’s basketball games in Portland where I was introduced to Grandma Morris. “Oh, YOU’RE Jamie,” she said to me with a twinkle in her eye. After Grandma passed away, Ben shared with me that this was one of his favorite memories of Grandma as well.

I’m not sure if it was when Ben and I were still dating or first married, but I’ll always remember Ben telling me that he had never heard Grandma Morris complain. “Really?” I said incredulously. From that moment on, I listened to see if that could was possible—that someone would never complain. In the almost 10 years I knew her, I too never heard her complain. Several people at her memorial service also noticed this.

Grandma Morris was 88 when pancreatic cancer took her life. Up until her diagnosis this past April, she was perfectly healthy—ridiculously healthy for her age, in fact. (Before cancer, her only medication was half a blood pressure pill three times a week!) One afternoon last summer, Alicia and I left our boys with her to go shopping for a bit. That means an 88 year old watched two 2 year olds, and a one year old all by herself. Amazing! “Grandma Great” was what the younger generation of Morris children called her (she had around 30 great-grandchildren) and she truly was that!

Her memorial service was this past Saturday and it was absolutely amazing. Here were a few of the things that really stood out to me:

Grandma’s top gift was hospitality. Countless people were touched by her open home and warm meals. And she not only was “willing” to have people in her home…she sought them out. Up until the end, her home was full of guest.
Hospitality wasn’t all Grandma Morris was gifted with, however. When family memories were asked to describe Grandma with one or two words, the result was around 40 words that described a godly woman with a gracious heart. Would you believe in those descriptive words EVERY SINGLE fruit of the spirit was used to describe her? Yep: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithful and self-control. Amazing.
Several people shared that they never saw Grandma have a bad day. Her favorite verse was Psalm 118:24, “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” She truly lived out this verse.
Several people also shared that they never heard her speak ill of anyone. Ever. (So, never complaining, no bad days, not speaking bad of anyone—if that’s not convicting, I don’t know what is!!)

I’m thankful for the time that I knew Grandma Morris. I’m thankful that my kids got to have their Grandma Great for three years. I can’t even verbalize how thankful I am that all 10 of our immediate family members had dinner at Grandma’s house 10 days before she passed away. I’ll always remember Seth and Sam running to her and giving her big hugs and saying “I love you” on that night.

I’m thankful for the example of a godly woman that Grandma Morris set for me. I’m so thankful that I got to marry the man of my dreams, who came from the amazing Morris lineage. I’m thankful that my children will grow up in that lineage, and that they will know and play with their cousins of that same lineage at ridiculously huge family gatherings.

I’m thankful that Grandma didn’t suffer long from her cancer and that she never had to leave her home. And I’m so thankful for the eternal hope God grants and that I’ll get to see Grandma Morris again someday (and get to meet Grandpa Morris too!). God is so good and faithful!