Florence Maines

Lately, my grandmother has been on my mind. I'm not sure why so much recently. I guess I just miss her. My grandmother, Florence Maines, was an extraordinary woman. She taught me so much in life and I just have this feeling that I never fully appreciated her as much as I should have. She was such a calming force that I believe anyone who met her felt it.

Through her adult life she worked for different charity organizations. I think her kind heart was really what made her so valuable to each place she helped. The last placed she worked was Community Linc . It's an organization here in Kansas City that assits homeless women with families get off the street, find jobs, and become successful members of society. It's a great program and I know she was proud to be a part of it in whatever way she could be.

My grandmother was also a woman of stong faith. She was Catholic, knew what she believed, and never had doubts. Mass was every Sunday and you could always tell it was done out of enjoyment not obligation. I think I heard her say a foul word MAYBE a handful of times. Mostly if it needed said, it was spelled. When speaking of a certain man in our life that believes he isn't able to do anything without his wife present she would say, "He can't take an s-h-i-t, without her." I believe that was the most vulgar thing I ever heard her say.

If I ever had a question about our faith, I knew who to turn to. She knew it all backwards and forwards and was able to answer any question I ever had. After she passed, I had my son baptised at her church and nothing could have made me happier.

One of my favorite stories of her's that she used to tell was the one of few times she and my grandfather went to see a movie in a theater in their later years. It was a really sunny day during the week and they arrived after the movie had already started. When they entered the theater, it was obviously very dark so after coming in from the sunshine so they had a terrible time seeing if there was anywhere to sit. After standing hopelessly for a moment or so not being able to find an empty seat, she heard a man say that there were some seats near him and his wife. My grandparents made their way towards the man's voice. After sitting in the man's lap at first, which for a religious woman in her 70's that was utterly embarressing, they finally found a seat next to the couple. They enjoyed the movie and at the end, she thanked the man as he and his wife stood up to leave. The lights came up and at that time, my grandmother realized that she was still wearing her sunglasses and that's what had made it so difficult to see. Not only that but she looked around the theater and she and my grandfather along with the nice man and his wife had been the only...people...in the theater. To this day, that story still makes me laugh.

It's extremely hard for me to put into words how wonderful my grandmother was without writing an entire novel. I guess the only way to fully understand was to know her. Just know that she was one h-e-l-l of a lady.