You Will Always BeIn My Heart

Sam has brown hair, brown eyes, and has something calledDown Syndrome. He is 7 years old, has a dog named Sniff,and loves to watch movies.

He can't learn some things as quickly as other children do, but hedoes learn a lot. He even reads books to his Mommy and Daddy,and usually he doesn't make any mistakes.

Sam loves going to his Grandmother's house. He calls her Grammy,and she lives only a few blocks away from his house. He feels veryproud that he can walk to Grammy's house all by himself.

Grammy and Sam love playing games together. Grammy is alwaysvery patient when Sam has a difficult time learning the rules.

Sam teaches Grammy songs that he learns at school. When theysang one song they both liked, they would laugh and laugh whenthey sang the words, "A peanut sat on a railroad track, His heartwas all a-flutter. Round the bend came number ten. Toot! Toot!Peanut butter! SQUISH!" Grammy and Sam love to sing together.Sam is always very patient when Grammy has a hard time learningsongs.

One day when Sam came home from school, his father was at home.Daddy usually wasn't at home when Sam came from school.

Daddy told Sam that Grammy had died during the day. Sam couldtell by Daddy's voice that he was very unhappy.

Sam asked Daddy what it meant that Grammy died.

Daddy told Sam that Grammy's body stopped working. She couldnot see, or hear, or touch, or talk anymore.

Sam was confused. He asked Daddy how Grammy would be ableto play and sing with him.

Daddy told Sam that Grammy would not be able to play and singanymore.

Since Sam and Grammy couldn't sing and play, Sam wondered ifthey could watch movies together. Daddy told Sam that Grammywould not be able to do anything anymore.

Sam started to cry. Daddy started to cry too. Daddy told Sam that it wasOK to cry. Daddy said that it is very sad when someone you love dies.

Daddy told Sam that even though Grammy was dead, her memorieswould always be in Sam's heart.

Sam asked if Daddy was going to die too. Daddy said that everyonedies and that someday he would die too, but it probably wouldn'tbe for a very long time. Sam cried again.

Daddy said that if Mommy or he would die there would be someoneto take care of Sam. Even though Sam felt sad that someday hisMommy and Daddy's bodies wouldn't work anymore, he was gladthat if they died, someone would take care of him.

The next morning Sam and his Daddy and Mommy went to thefuneral home to make arrangements. Making arrangements meantthat they were getting ready for Grammy's funeral. They were goingto have a funeral for Grammy so that everyone could say goodbyeto her. Sam helped pick out the casket that Grammy's bodywould be in. The casket was a very pretty blue box big enough forGrammy's body. It had a soft satin lining and pillow. He thought theblue one would be pretty. Grammy liked the color blue.

Many of Grammy's friends and family came to her funeral. It wasboth a sad and happy gathering. People cried, but people alsotalked about how great Grammy was. Sam liked it when peopletalked about how Grammy was fun and caring, and made peoplelaugh.

Grammy's body in the casket looked different from when he saw hersleeping. Mommy told Sam that Grammy wasn't sleeping, and Samremembered what Daddy had told him about how Grammy's bodydid not work anymore.

At the church the minister talked about Grammy. The minister saidthat Grammy loved Sam very much. When the minister said this,Sam smiled and then cried. He liked hearing how much Grammyloved him, and he was sad that he and Grammy would not be ableto see each other anymore.

Then they took Grammy in her blue casket to a place called acemetery. The cemetery was pretty. Sam thought that Grammywould like that her body would be there below the tall trees andamong the flowers. The minister said some more things aboutGrammy at the cemetery, and then they put the casket withGrammy's body into the ground. Sam cried when the casket was inthe ground. It was very sad for Sam to leave Grammy's body there.

After Sam, his Mommy, and Daddy left the cemetery, they went backto the church and had lunch. Sam missed Grammy while they wereeating, but they ate some of the foods that Grammy liked. They hadhotdogs with a lot of onions, potato chips, and chocolate chip cookies.

When they went home, Sam felt strange. It felt like Grammy wasjust on a trip, and she would be back, but he knew that wasn't true.

When Sam went back to school the teacher and other students toldhim how sorry they were that Grammy had died. It felt good to Samthat people were nice to him.

When Sam went home after school, he couldn't go to Grammy'shouse. Not going to Grammy's house felt very sad. Mommy toldSam that they could go to Grammy's house and look at her gardenif he wanted to. Sam and his Mommy went to Grammy's house. Hefelt good seeing her garden, and he felt sad that she would never behome again. They picked some flowers and put them in a vase attheir home. He liked looking at Grammy's flowers.

After two weeks, Sam still missed Grammy very much, andhe thought about her all of the time. He was very sad when heremembered all the fun he and Grammy had together, and howthey could never have fun together again. Mommy suggested thatSam and Mommy could do something to remember Grammy.

Mommy and Sam went into Grammy's house and gathered somethings. Mommy told Sam that he could pick out some things thatreminded him of Grammy. Sam went to the table by the chairwhere Grammy sat. Sam picked up a picture of Grammy and Samthat had been taken at his sixth birthday party. He then went to thekitchen and picked up the coffee cup that Grammy used. Mommyencouraged Sam to pick several more things. Sam picked a scarf,one of the games that he and Grammy played, and Grammy'sreading glasses that she used when she read Sam stories. Mommyalso picked several things from the house.

Mommy and Sam took the things home and put them on a table,so the things would be there whenever Sam wanted to look at them.As Sam put the things on the table one at a time, he talked aboutwhy he picked the things, what each thing reminded him of, andwhat he would miss about Grammy. Mommy also put the things shechose on the table one at a time and talked about Grammy.

When Daddy got home, he asked about the things on the table.Sam told him all about picking out the things and why he pickedeach one. The things stayed on the table for several weeks. Everytime Sam walked by the table and saw the things he thought ofGrammy. Sometimes he stood for a long time looking at the thingsand remembering Grammy. Sometimes he smiled, and sometimeshe cried. Other times he looked quickly and did not stop. Afterseveral more weeks, Sam just passed the table and didn't look atthe things. One day Mommy asked Sam if he would like to put thethings away in a box, and he could keep the box in his closet. Samthought that was a good idea. He didn't need to see the things anylonger to remember Grammy and think about all the fun theyhad together.

Thinking about Grammy and how much they loved each other feltgood. Sam knew that he would never forget Grammy, and he wouldalways love her.

Every night when Sam went to bed, he would whisper, "Grammy, Ilove you, and I miss you. You will always be in my heart." He knewthat was true.

Grandma's Jewel

Howard...