So on September 26th, 2009, my grandmother died after 90 years of living on this earth.
See grandmother owned her own home and loved to live by herself and do all the things she wanted to do with no one breathing down her neck.Being so independent and such a strong-headed individual, she never liked to be told what to do or how to do things, because frankly she could do it all! One of the things she also liked to do was walk her own journeys. Yes, that is correct...she would walk to most of her destinations as opposed to calling a cab or calling on someone to give her a ride. Now don't get me wrong, if it was quite a trip beyond 5 miles, she would have no other choice but to call a cab.
So about 2-3 years ago, during one of her 'casual' strolls to her friends' house, a driver sped over her foot! Shockingly enough, this happened a second time around on a different occasion. In both instances, she had to be hospitalized and treated for intense pain. Never did we know that this was the beginning to the end of her independence and eventually her life because her health began to fade slowly till she was confined to a bed, unable to do the things that she had loved to do all these years without any assistance from anyone.
I decided that it was only befitting to honor her legacy and the knowledge of her creativity & the art of craft that she imparted to me by saying a few words about how she was so instrumental to my life and Kradle Kouture. Below is my prepared tribute speech for her funeral, that has been scheduled to what would have been her 90th birthdate (November 21st 2009)...................
Grandmother, a true angel on earth – Written by grand-daughter, Nana Adwoa Abeasi
It was December 2005 during my engagement ceremony, when my Grandma, amidst a group of guests, blurted out, “Nana dea, ose me ooo” (Meaning – “Nana Adwoa looks just like me!”) as she put her hand on her hip and did what appeared to be an amateur catwalk down the porch. Funny thing about this picture is that my sister was one of the bystanders listening to grandma rattle on about how much I resembled her in her younger days and not making any mention of why perhaps she and my sister shared something in common also. With a grin on her face, Akua watched Grandma from the side of her eyes, waiting patiently for grandma to brag about her or at least tell the guests that Akua was named after her or something. That ‘light, camera, action’ moment unfortunately didn’t come.
But you see that picture had more meaning, sentiment and purpose to it than the obvious at the time – I was of a svelte stature just like grandma in her younger days. I like to believe that she was trying to predict something of value to me of which at the time, I did not see or realize or better yet wouldn’t have even believed it if she had told me.
So who is Mrs Elizabeth Agyeiwaa Abeasi? Wow, do we have enough time to really say and be honest? Well I’ll be respectful and make it brief. See Grandma was such an inspirational angel-on-earth. Grandma taught me the importance of Christianity. She did an excellent job in imparting the wisdom of religion to her sons, of which I’m proud to say are my father and Uncle Jeff. I have never seen successful men who are so deeply rooted in being Chris-like as Grandma’s sons. This just shows that her legacy is to be continued through her sons and the next ‘Abeasi’ generations to come. I vividly remember her reading to me from the bible and made me memorize Psalm 23 and 27. She told me to “count my blessings”. She was my role model for what a woman of substance could be - charismatic, independent, loving, humble, radiant, beautiful, Christ-like, domestic, artistic, talented, innovative, and creative. In addition, Grandma was a strong black woman; she had a long, healthy, loving life.
Grandma was the most independent and strongest woman I have ever known. She lived in her own home and took care of herself as well as others who lived with her. She was very involved with her church; she arranged her own means of transportation – even if it meant walking the entire journey. She supervised and took care of her entire compound and all her tenants. You could always rely on Grandma to be the only one in the family who would remember your birthday, not missing a single year, and not going through the day with either a phone call and/or a card to wish you well. Distance didn’t matter to her. Even if you lived at the North pole, she would find a means to get in contact with you on your birthday. A life-long homemaker, she was a wonderful cook and made everything from scratch. How many of us have that skill to date?
Another lasting impression of grandma is that she was so innovative, creative and crafty. I remember whenever we would go visit after school, I would be so mesmerized by all the jewelry, clothing, and cakes that she would make and bake all by herself. They were all created with so much color, radiance, precision and love. I remember thinking that all these craft items were nice and that Grandma was a genius when it came to being creative and innovative; I definitely knew where to go and who to see if I wanted some homemade cookies or some sort of intricately crocheted table plate mats! In May of this year, I unraveled my own creative side. Seeing my daughter create her own fashion sense from wearing socks as arm warmers and gloves, I knew that creating children into fashion icons in every sense of the word was my calling in some shape or form. I suddenly thought about taking some sewing, craft and crocheting classes to help me start a new business – a kid’s clothing line. But you see, if only I knew this was going to unfold, I would have studied Grandma a bit more closely; I would have sat with her more often to get free sewing, and crocheting lessons; I probably would have learned the skill of baking, as well. Now look at me, having to pay for a talent that I could have developed with her help!. All these skills could have definitely come in handy right about now.
So you see, it began to dawn on me that Grandma and I shared a lot of interests, mannerisms, and thought processes. I only pray that I live up to her standards. I’m yet to explore the realm of being domestic and I’m working on being more Christ-like. So Grandma, I have a huge task ahead but I know with your support, it’s certainly do-able. Never did I think that I, a trained analytical engineer would develop an interest in crafts. I will say that it’s not likely that I’ll ever be interested in baking but it is worth a shot, right?
During her last few years on earth, Grandma lived at home where she got around with a walker and the assistance of others due to her fragile state. That was when she began to lose her independence. It was very painful for me to see my once very strong Grandma relying on others to move around. However, she did live a good life; she was God-fearing, humble and the best Grandma a child could ever have! The most comforting thing about her home going is that she is in a much better place now, free of any kind of pain or suffering. I am confident that she has joined the heavenly host with our Lord, where she rightfully belongs.
I am thankful that I had the relationship that I had with her for my 30-something years. I am even more thankful that she had an opportunity to see and spend time with my new family also – her grand son-in-law, Kelvin and her great grand-daughter, Ava-Mirre Akosua Owusu-Ansah.
I think everyone who knew her would agree with me that she truly touched every single life that she came in contact with in one way or the other. And for this reason, I am proud to be closely related to her.
Grandma, I only pray that you’ll continue to utter those words in heaven, “Nana dea, ose me ooo”. I am truly honored to be compared to you.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRANDMA! We hail you. We love you. We miss you. May you rest in peaceful bliss with the Lord.
