Whenever I call my grandparents house to speak with my grandma, and my granddad answers the phone, he will yell, “Karen… your buddy is on the phone”. That’s exactly what we are, buddies- bonded from birth. She has always been there for me through every step of my childhood.

Some of the best memories I have with her are the many times I would sleep over at her house. When I spent the night at grandma’s house that meant all attention was on me. We would start the day baking cookies, having tea parties, or playing dolls. In the evening after a full day of doing whatever I wanted we would climb into bed and share stories with one another until finally I became too tired to talk and would fall asleep.

I like to think that the two of us have a special bond, but what is interesting about my grandma is that I think everyone else in my family feels they share this unique bond with her as well. What I have come to realize is that she is a woman who takes the time to make connections. She enjoys getting to know a person and their ambitions or complaints. Karen also has a remarkable amount of patients for individuals. I’m not sure how she does it, but I know one thing is for sure… her devotion to her family does not go unrecognized. We love her so much and appreciate everything she does for us.