Grandma's 90th Birthday! February 14, 2005
On July 5, my sweet Grandma went HOME to be with Jesus. I miss her so very much. To me, she was the best example of Jesus there is. I learned so much from, not what she said, but what she did. She was part of the Third Order of Franciscans, and she certainly lived out the words of St. Francis of Assisi, "Preach the Gospel at all times, if necessary, use words."
As I go through my days, one by one, since her death, I struggle to "move on with life" as they say, because I just want her here with me. I really really miss her. Her hugs, even at 94 years old, were the most amazing thing! When you walked into a room, her eyes lit up, and you felt like you were the most special person in the world. Honestly, I'd have to say that she was the most remarkable woman I've ever known. I hope to "carry on" some of my Gram's traits. It's so hard to imagine life without her here on earth, but I know, that by living my life a little more everyday the way she lived her life (after Jesus), there's a little bit of Grandma in this world still!
"Say not in grief that she is no more, but in thankfulness that she was."
February 14 1915 - July 5, 2009
Dear Grandma,
Thank you for SHOWING Me Jesus everyday of your life. It is because of you that I have faith in God and know that I can always find my peace in Him. You were a living example to me of what it meant to trulybe humble, love, sacrifice, forgive, and keep on going! You are such a trooper! You have certainly made that "dash" between February 14, 1915 and July 5, 2009 quite remarkable to all the people who have encountered you! You are leaving quite a legacy behind. You have 9 children, 23 grandchildren, and 20 great grandchildren! There's one little girl at our house who is named after you and wants to be like you even now at 4 years old! Even yesterday, when we saw you for the last time, she said, "I'm so glad you're named after me, Great Grandma." and I saw you chuckle and say,"Yes, Ellie, I'm so glad I have your name." Thank you, Grandma for everything. I love you dearly and will miss you so very much. I hope I can be just like you...because you were just like Jesus. Thank you for showing me what it means to be truly beautiful. I love you.
Love, Annie
Below is my little brother's tribute to Gram. He absolutely adored her!
It is often said that life is a journey. A journey that twists you and
turns you down the ever changing roads of time. A journey without any
brakes and no time to waste. The further you travel the faster it
goes. The roads are often foggy and it's hard to tell just where your
traveling, which way your turning, what road your walking. But there's
no turning back no matter what's your track. Have you lost all
control or are you just starting to roll? Have you turned away or
toward the stars? In either case have you traveled too far? Is
death's chase finally catching your pace? It makes you panic, it makes
you sweat, it wakes you up late at night with a shortness of breath.
Your losing your mind wasting your time and no matter how hard you
pray the journey never seems to turn your way. You lose sight of the
angles and your hearts in tangles. What do you do? Where do you go?
How can you get back to the beginning of the road? You need hope, you
need faith and you found it in Grandma Mo.
Gram Bandera, or as I like to call her Mo, has given us all the faith
and hope we need in our life's journey. Not the hope you read about in
the tabloids, see on the big screen, or hear during a political
campaign. But true faith that will remain with us in every step of our
journey. Faith that no matter how rocky the road ahead may be, how
high the tides may rise, how hard the winds of change will blow, or
how dark your day may be that there is a brighter one coming, that the
storm will soon pass, that the world doesn't have you beat, tomorrow's
morning is not so far away and the stars are worth reaching for. In
her 94 years of life she experienced more than any of us ever will.
Despite all the troubles, struggles, and pains of life she had faced,
she displayed only absolute love, selflessness, grace, happiness, and
a spirit that rose higher than any mountain top. She saw nothing but
the beauty and the joy of life and gave us all exactly that.
Mo's passing is not one of tragedy but of triumph. Her life is the
definition of greatness. She lived entirely for God and for us, not
just her 9 children, 21 grandchildren, and 27 great grandchildren but
countless others. In doing so she gave the opportunity to experience
the joy of life and a reason to believe. Grandma Bandera was the
purest form of beauty South Chicago will ever see. Her beauty, her
spirit will live eternally within all of our lives, our memories, our
hopes, our dreams, our love, our faith, and our family. We can only be
thankful for the blessing of having Grandma for so long in our lives.
Her life was a gift to all of our journeys and has given us faith that
we are all bound for glory.
We will all miss you Grandma
If you didn't know my Grams, I'm sorry. She deserved an
Allyance Tribute because she was the soul behind it. And don't write
back saying your sorry.......because there is nothing to be sorry
about.....like I said she her death is a triumph. But maybe go buy
some KFC today in memory of the soul of The Allyance...... it was her
favorite
Cheers
The Steve