Meine Oma

It was a year ago today that my grandmother passed away. It was very hard to see her decline in her last few months of life, and the day before her death was very difficult for her and for us. I felt a huge relief for her when she passed as well as a huge hole in my heart.

I’ve thought about her many times over the last year. While I still miss her very much, it’s nothing but fond memories. She was truly an amazing woman filled with so much love, strength, practicality, humor, and warmth. I was fortunate to have had her all to myself as a grandmother for 10 years; I’m the oldest of the cousins. I was also fortunate that she moved from Malibu to the DC area for the last several years of her life, so my family was able to spend a lot of time with her.

My father came to visit this past weekend and had recently gone through his storage room, so he brought us a bunch of “stuff”. One bit of memorabilia was a little plaque from the Schatzlein family reunion in Germany in the late 80s. My father was stationed near the town my Oma’s family originally came from, so we were able to attend. Her father had moved from Germany to San Francisco when he was 14. He apprenticed with a leather-worker and eventually moved to Minneapolis and opened his own business. The Schatzlein Saddle Shop is still in business and still owned by the family (distant cousins).

I’m immensely proud to have been her grandson and know she will always be watching over and protecting me and my family. I will forever be grateful to have had the time I did with her. Oma, I love and miss you.

Once a big molicepan,
Saw a bittle lum,
Sitting on a sturbcone,
Chewing gubble bum.
Hi, said the molicepan,
Will you sim me gome?
Tinny on your nintype,
Said the bittle lum.