Remembering My Grandmother: Mary Montoya 1-22-38 to 12-17-20
When I think of my grandmother, I think of the word "Day one". That word describes someone who has been loyal to you since day one of your friendship- in-spite of all that you have been through. They remain there for you even if you were the best person in the world or the worst person in the world. They are loyal to you. They value you. They don't abandon your relationship and even if others think ill of you, they remain by your side through thick and thin. They are steadfast and love you unconditional.
My grandma was that type of person to me and to her family that she loved dearly.
There are many traits that could characterize my grandmother but here are a few I think we would all have a consensus to.
Her personality and people skills.
It was not uncommon for my grandmother to make friends wherever she went. People loved her! She made friends with neighbors, at the clothing stores, the local grocery store, the Indian desert store, the public bus driver, the people at her church; you name it; They knew her by name and often spoke well of her. She loved to get out do things and she loved shopping. She loved garage sales and would often collect things and we would even joke and call her a bag lady! (Her hoarding game was strong! :) and whenever we confronted her, she would say she is cleaning up her place even though she wasn’t. (wink wink); She loved to get dressed up and wear nice clothes; she traveled by bus and would get around town that way; that was her wip (car).
She had a sense of humor and loved to poke fun of you or tell stories of her recent conversations or life experiences she had.
I remember If I missed calling her in a while, she would scold me for not checking in and it was enough for me do so but not enough for her to be out of a job.
Her physical and mental strength.
She had a rough life growing up but it did not define her. With some people affirmatives break them but not with her. It strengthened her for the role she would play in all of our lives. She had a stubborn resilience to fight to stay alive for she had many medical setbacks whether that be cancer, strokes, heart attacks, diabetes, or a myriad of health issues she faced at the end of her life. She kept fighting to be alive; you could see that on videos shown of her at the nursing home; you could see her strength by her expressions regardless if she was able to talk with slurred speech or or make hand gestures. She never let things get her down and always had an optimistic view on life.
She often put others before her own needs, and she thrived on being that kind of person. She lived a simple life. She was a servant and enjoyed helping people whether it be by giving them money (even if she was broke), making them a meal, or being willing to offer a listening ear to hear your problems and take on the position as counselor and encourager as well. Often, I would call her for advice, and she would pick up the phone and walk me through my situation. She drew from the wisdom from her pain and experience in life that made her stronger as a person. You could count on her and even if she did not have anything to offer, she would find a way to help you.
Her Faith in God.
One of my first experiences to Christianity was my grandmother taking me to church at a young age and I believe that Is why it is important in my life today. She loved going to the church and often would travel to Milpitas by bus to get there even if it was 1 hr ride. It gave her joy to hear the sermon and often made her day and refreshed her to face the week; My grandmother was not a deep theologian but she believed in the providence of God in her disposition in life by crediting God with any kind of help she received monetarily or any type of blessing she got. She would often say the good Lord blessed me. She understood the sovereignty of God in providing for our basic needs.
Below are some pics of her with family and a link for her funeral service that was conducted on 12-30-20
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