A Beautiful Life…
On August 18th, the world lost a little bit of sunshine when my grandmother known as “Ma” passed away in her home surrounded by people she loved. She was 93 years old and lived a beautiful life. One of her greatest joys in life was her family – she raised six children and always said that her most important and cherished role was being a mother.
As I type this, tears are flowing down my cheeks. I miss her so much already. She was a very special person in my life and played such a huge role in who I am today.
She taught me to live life to the fullest, to laugh often, to dance whenever and wherever possible and to never take any days for granted. I also learned so much from her about being comfortable and confident in my own skin… and letting my authentic self shine.
Anyone who can get a TSA Agent to smile, while getting mad at him for trying to confiscate her full bottle of water that she tried to take through security, has to be pretty special… 🙂
I know many of you have felt a connection to Ma from her presence here on Hip2Save. She absolutely loved being a part of Hip2Save and raved about the Hip2Save community – so thank you for bringing her so much joy throughout the years with your kind and uplifting comments, emails and messages.
Although I am feeling so much loss today, I can’t also help but smile a bit as I picture my grandmother and grandfather together again… smiling down on myself and my family.
I am writing this post on August 20th, my birthday. Today, I not only celebrate my own birth, but I celebrate the amazing life my grandmother led. I celebrate how blessed I am to have gotten to spend so much of my 34 years here on earth with such an amazing person. I celebrate all of the laughs, all of the love, and all of the incredible memories that I’ve had because of having Ma in my life.
Today, I celebrate life and I know she’s right there celebrating it with me.
I love you, Ma. I know you’ll always be by my side.
I am so sorry for your loss.
Collin- So very very sorry to hear of the loss of Ma. May God rest her soul in peace. May the love and memories that you shared with your Grandmother comfort you in the finest way possible. Accept my heartfelt condolences on her loss.
Ma- You may not be around, but your memories still remain captured in our hearts. You were like an Angel that came and made our lives beautiful, and now that you are in Heaven, I know you are doing the same. God Bless.
Collin your family is in my thoughts and prayers. Ma was such a sweet heart, she will be greatly missed. Much Love sent your way. (((HUGS)))
I lost one grandmother when I was 11 and the other one at 15. I’m 35 now. You are very lucky for being able to have her in your life all these years, cherish the memories. So sorry. 🙁
I’m very sorry for your loss Collin as well as your family . Stay strong and always treasure the smiles, laughs, and the love that you all shared. So many hugs to you and your family.
❤❤❤❤
So sorry for your loss Collin. I always enjoyed seeing Ma in the Target videos. She seemed like such a fun and special lady. You and your family are in my prayers. And happy birthday! Yesterday was my grandfather’s birthday he would have been 92 (he passed in 2010).
With Sympathy to you and your family/
God bless your heart! I’m sorry for your loss. It’s sure so difficult dealing it. Draw your strength from God!
So sorry for your loss!! You brought tears to my eyes with such beautiful words. You are truly lucky to ave had ma by your side. Hugs and heaven gained another angel today.
Thinking and praying for your family during this time.
Hugs to you and your family. I’m so sorry for your loss. 93 years full of life! What a wonderful story.
So sorry, Collin. My thoughts and prayers are with your family. What wonderful memories you have with Ma that you can treasure forever.
So sorry… Miss her in ur videos already 🙁
Thinking and praying for your family! Thank you for sharing her with us, she always made me laugh!
So sorry for your loss.
All teared up just reading this precious tribute to such a precious human being. Though we don’t know her personally, we have truly felt a part of YOUR family thanks to you letting us in to that part of your life. It is so clear that you two had a sweet, and special relationship…and I know you made her proud 🙂 Praying for you and your family during such a difficult time. Continue to focus on the 93 years that apparently she lived to the fullest 🙂
So sorry for your loss Collin she is a angel always with you
Collin,
We will miss her too here on your page, I have so enjoyed all the fun photos you have posted with her, it was very apparent how much love the 2 of you shared. You are in my thoughts and prayers as you move forward in your life with wonderful memories of her in your life.
May God comfort you and give you the strength to endure the sadness you feel.
I’m so sorry for your loss,I always enjoyed seeing Ms.Ma in your Videos. You & your family are in my prayers. Thank you for sharing her with all of your subscribers. Blessings to you.
We are so very sorry for your loss. You your family family are in our thoughts and prayers . She truly was a lovely lady !! We all will miss an amazing earth angel .
Colin – I feel like I lost a member of my own family! She was an inspiration and joy to me and I loved her beautiful personality and spirit. She had so much spunk and life!
I am happy that she has passed on to an even better place and is having a joyous reunion with all those people on the other side. I hope you and your family will be comforted and blessed at this time. I thought you might like this poem by Henry Van Dyke and this video on you tube which is based on it….
Gone From My Sight
by Henry Van Dyke
I am standing upon the seashore. A ship, at my side,
spreads her white sails to the moving breeze and starts
for the blue ocean. She is an object of beauty and strength.
I stand and watch her until, at length, she hangs like a speck
of white cloud just where the sea and sky come to mingle with each other.
Then, someone at my side says, “There, she is gone”
Gone where?
Gone from my sight. That is all. She is just as large in mast,
hull and spar as she was when she left my side.
And, she is just as able to bear her load of living freight to her destined port.
Her diminished size is in me — not in her.
And, just at the moment when someone says, “There, she is gone,”
there are other eyes watching her coming, and other voices
ready to take up the glad shout, “Here she comes!”
And that is dying…
Death comes in its own time, in its own way.
Death is as unique as the individual experiencing it.
Video link – so beautiful and comforting and I think based on the above poem…
I think your children might like it as well…….
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nFmCbB4s2qs
Sincerely a hip to saver
Janice
I am so sorry for your loss! What a beautiful tribute to such a beautiful life. Praying for you and your family in the coming days ahead. She will be sorely missed on Hip2Save! 💗
How lucky they are in Heaven to have that lady and her amazing smile! Thank you for sharing her with us through the years. Prayers and hugs to you and your family.
I am so sorry for your loss! She was such a sweet and sassy lady! Such a spirit! Many hugs for you and your family!
My heart breaks for you. I, too, lost my beloved grandmother on my birthday and I, too, was blessed to have her in my life for 40 years. I still miss her so much, but I know she is right here with me when I think of her.
I’m gonna miss you Ma! I still wanted to get a “ma” on a stick that you guys had made up as a joke. I’ve been on here for years now (maybe 5 or more now?!) and I loved seeing Ma all over the posts. Her crazy outfits you’d put her in…how happy and supportive she was of all the store deals! Thank you for letting her be part of all of our lives!!
So sorry for your loss. Truly such an amazing woman.
So sorry for your loss. I loved watching the videos of you two together. God bless you and your family.
So sorry to hear about your Grandmother, but happy that you were blessed with her. You will see each other again~
****** fly free and happy beyond birthdays
and across forever
and we’ll meet now
and then when we wish,
in the midst of the
one celebration
that can never end.
~ Richard Bach
xoxo
I feel your pain after losing my grandmother after Hurricane Katrina. Our elders are a treasure. I join you in celebrating the life and energy of “Ma”! You were blessed to have her for so long. If everything goes as planned, we shall meet again. Hugs to you and prayers for Ma
May God bless u and ur family w much comfort and peace! And joy as u continue to celebrate a life well lived!!
“Ma” will live on shine through you Collin! “Death leaves a heartache no one can heal, Love leaves a memory no one can steal”…..author unknown
Reading this brought tears to my eyes and makes me want to encourage a stronger bond between my kids and their grandparents. Your such a strong and inspiring woman, Collin, and I am so sorry for your loss.
What an extraordinary legacy this precious life leaves behind. Her life continues in you Collin and in your children.
My condolences for your loss. I so enjoyed seeing you and MA together on your posts. I was always wishing I had that connection with my own. I’m so happy you enjoyed her while you could. We will all miss her.
Sorry to hear about your loss. She was a familiar face here. May her soul rest in peace.
A beautiful tribute to a woman who seemed to make every day count. Condolences to you & your family.
My condolences and prayers go out to you and your family in your time of loss.
What a beautiful tribute to your grandmother. What a blessing to have had her in your life for so long!
My condolences. I was just thinking about her a couple of weeks ago, I really enjoyed the posts with your grandmother, it brought a smile to my face. I pray that her memories give you strength day by day. I have your family in my prayers, she left a legacy for her family and I know you and your family will continue it….thanks to Grandma!
So sorry for you loss Collin. I enjoyed Ma’s beauty gracing the videos and also had the pleasure of meeting her in Portland when you hosted the dinner years back. She seemed like an amazing woman and I thank you for letting your readers get to “meet” her. Blessings to you all as you grieve the passing of your dear family member. What an impact she made on so many and I personally have been blessed with many laughs because of you both.
I am so sorry for your loss. You and your family are in my prayers. God bless you and yours.
So sorry to hear about your grandmother. You and your family are in my thoughts and prayers.
Sorry for your loss. Reading this brought me to tears. She will be missed by many.
Thank you for sharing Ma with us, Colin. I know I am not alone in saying I loved seeing her smiling face in pictures on your blog! She was an amazing lady. I’m sorry for your loss. You are right, though; she is smiling down on you right now and I know she is so proud of your accomplishments!
And might I add, she was a wonderfully dressed grandma! Very stylish and hip, just like you!
Sorry for your loss-it’s good that you can find some joy and still celebrate life at this tough time.
Sorry for your loss. May her soul rest in peace ..
Colin, your Grandmother has left footprints on all of our hearts through your hip-to-save, cherish her wonderful memory.
Lifting you up in prayer, my heart aches for you and your family. I hope you had a wonderful day celebrating your birthday and remembering “Ma’s” amazing life as I just know that’s what she’d want You to do💋