A Tribute to our Neighbor and Friend, Wanda Morrison
When I think of Wanda, I think of chocolate. She loved her chocolate. I would drop off Godiva at her doorstep at Christmas. This year I treated her to White Chocolate and Cherry Bread. She enjoyed all kinds of sweets. My Dad would take her McFlurry's. My Mom would share all kinds of goodies with her. As long as it was sweet, it was a treat to her. But chocolate in her book was tough to beat.
When I think of Wanda, I think of her family. Her conversation almost always included them. Occasionally we would talk about the Diners (you know, the birds we would feed on the beach) or about Ralph, but mostly her conversations were about family.
When I think of Wanda, I think of soaps. Yep, those things on tv in the afternoon. There was a cardinal rule. Do not disturb Wanda during her soaps ...not even for chocolate.
When I think of Wanda, I think of LAUGHTER. No matter what, she could make you SMILE. You could be talking about absolutely nothing and she could put a noun and verb together that just made you burst out laughing. She was quick witted, too. She was a joy to be around.
When I think of Wanda, I cannot help but smile.
There is hardly a day that goes by that I do not think of my Grandparents and my Grandmother. If I start to forget, they scroll by on my Laptop Screensaver Photos to remind me.
It is the same with Ralph and now it will be the same with Wanda always.
There was a period in my life when I was very blue. I would go to my parents Beach House and sit by the Bay. Each day, Ralph would trot out and come sit by me. We would watch the Diners and talk about absolutely nothing. The Beach does that for you. As time went on, I was not quite so sad and kind of glad that I had this new Beach Buddy. Your Pop Pop became my friend, too. We would plot Watermelon Feasts on upcoming Summer Holidays. He could really make a watermelon look good. I finally got around to asking for my first iced cold piece and from that time after it was our Beach Holiday thing.
I knew what I had to do when we all lost my Dad's Fishing Buddy, Ralph. Wanda was really, really, really blue. I made up my mind I would do what Ralph had done for me. So every time I went to the Beach to see my folks, I would tap on the door. Hey, Wanda, come out and talk with me! Hey, Wanda, want to go to a church supper with me? Hey Wanda, where are my Mom and Dad? Hey, Wanda, look at this, try this, eat this....You know, I was just the Neighbor bug you've gotta love.
And over time, the same thing happened. But this time SHE got better. And that gave me something more to SMILE about.
Well in our family, we call her "The Old Bat." And to all of us, it was a SWELL Thing.
If we had been polite or reverential she would have wondered what was up.
We would ask the Old Bat over to eat with us and talk with us or go to dinner with us. She was part of the everyday plan.
I know how much I will miss her. "Ralph and Wanda" was always one word to us. It was our cool Neighbors next door. I know one thing for sure. They are up there with the Diners, they have a neat Bat Cave, and that Bat Mobile has the coolest wheels in Heaven.
I love you Wanda and always will. Ralph, we all took good care of your Gal while you were gone. And we loved every single moment of it. Amidst the tears, there will always be miles of smiles for our Wanda Morrison, that OLD BAT next door. We love you to the Moon and Back, Wanda, you Old BAT!
Cheryl Ritchie, RE/MAX 100, GoldenGirl@GoldenResults.com , Sunday December 19, 2010.
_________________________________________________________________________________
Or Visit my "Golden Results" Social Networking Sites
