Goodbye Grandma Rose

Unfortunately, this past Tuesday Hope and I lost the matriarch of our family. Hope's grandmother, Rose Ramras passed away at the blissful age of 104. The Torah tells us if one honors one's parents, one will be blessed with longevity. Grandma Rose was clearly a recipient of this blessing, and rightfully so. She was a dedicated daughter who took great care of her mother. She would travel by train (no small feat in those days) from her home in Bensonhurst to her mother's home in East New York to visit and clean for her twice a month.

Grandma Rose dedicated her entire existence to her family. She made it her priority to always be home with her children. She never pursued a career and did not involve herself in anything that would compromise her focus on her children. She was not a member of a beach club, she did not travel too often and was not a member of any social group. She lived for her three children, five grandchildren and thirteen great grandchildren. The room literally lit up from her smile when she gazed at the children.

The last time we visited her in her apartment she appeared a little weak. However, anytime either one of my two daughters walked near her, she leaped forward with a surge of life and a huge smile, and grabbed one of the girls. Her grip on them was so tight that they had to plea for help.

Her love and devotion to her family clearly made an impression on her children. For many years, my mother-in-law and her two brothers dedicated their lives to their beloved mother. They visited her at least on a weekly basis if not more. They took care of all her needs from laundry to grocery shopping to doctor appointments to hair appointments and everything in between. They clearly learned how to epitomize the mitzvah of honoring one's parents from her, and they excelled in it, as did she. We only hope that we were able to inherit her spiritual gene of honoring one's parents to the fullest as Grandma Rose and her children did.

The life she led was not one of glamour or excitement, rather one of fulfillment. She had her priorities and never lost sight of them. She understood that her family came first, and everything else was secondary to that.