Oma

When I was younger I thought that was her name, Oma. I always thought it was cool that she found someone named Opa and they got married......kids. It wasn't until a car ride leaving their house when I found out that Oma and Opa were dutch for grandma and grandpa, their real names are Rita and Dan. I was born in NH and lived there until I was 11yrs old and moved to Florida. We saw our Oma and Opa often as they didn't live very far. Some of my best memories were, every Sunday going to Howard Johnson (a hotel that may not exist anymore) and we would all meet for breakfast, I had a thing for bagels and tons of cream cheese. I remember them always getting coffee as well as my mom too and thinking that was so gross. Christmas was always fun because it was only us 3 kids so we got a lot of presents, also because we had 2 uncles and an aunt too. My Oma was an artist, a writer, a musician, a muti lingual woman, courageous, helpful and kind. I didn't get any drawing skills from her but she did teach me how to play the piano on her organ down in the basement....if I close my eyes, I can hear that 1 button you pushed to play one specific beat the whole time and my Oma would play along to it. I did take lessons years later in Florida and picked up on piano really quick. I could remember a song and play it with out the sheet music so easily, play it from memory just like she did. Unfortunately I stopped playing.....and lost that wonderful talent, Laura picked it up and still knows quite a few songs from memory. As a writer, which was one of her most accomplished and well known talents, she started writing a memoir years and years ago. She had one of the most amazing and interesting lives as a teenager, disguising herself as a boy during WWII in fear she would be used as a "comfort woman", this disguise was so she could go with her mother and siblings to a POW camp and be safe. Her book goes on to tell her amazing story and adventures and having kids living in Amsterdam. She started to work on book 2 and slowly lost the energy to write when she became sick. She used to send me rough copies on her books so I could read chapters at a time but her second book i've never seen anything from it, she did tell me I was in it and we had a tea party together......I can't wait to read that part, I know she'll have such detail about that memory as she does all of the ones she writes about so it will be special to read. Her last few months she was just like how I remember her being, chatted up a storm with you, was trying to finish her book and write a journal of her last few months, busy woman she was. She wanted to be sure to leave her legacy to all of us and future generations of our families, always thinking of others was her specialty. We haven't had a chance to see each other in the last few years except some facetime and written some emails, she was more of a hand written letter person so we did some of that too....her hand writing is beautiful! Laura and I recently went to Amsterdam and went to Madurodam (a miniature city in Holland she took my father to as a kid). We made sure to take lots of photos for her because she so badly wanted us to see it. She loved the pictures and knowing that we've seen pieces of her past and our fathers was very special to her. Wednesday, November 21, 2012 she passed away peacefully and happy. She had everyone around her she loved and i'm so glad my dad made it up there in time as well as my mom and Laura. Breaks my heart I couldn't be there, but I know Laura did a good job telling her good-bye for me. She will forever have an amazing place in my heart and i'll cherish every memory and every conversation I got to share with her. Thank you so much for your legacy and all the stories, Love you always and forever Oma! xoxo

Top left is the first book but second publishing, top right is a few weeks ago (you can still see the love), lower right is the first book, first publishing, lower left is Oma, me, Opa and Craig