Van Nuys, California, was THE place to be in the 1940's and 1950's.My grandma was one of the lucky people to live in that city at that time. She was born and raised in Van Nuys and lived a life that film buffs would be jealous of.  Living in the middle of the celebrity hubbub brought my grandma close to legends such as Betty Grable (Betty was Grandma's next door neighbor), Frank Sinatra, Bob Hope, Ginger Rogers, Cary Grant, Maureen O'Hara, Rosalind Russell, and George Murphy. To Grandma, her life was ordinary. My grandma herself, was far from ordinary.     She grew into a beautiful woman, enduring many hardships that molded her into the strong, independent woman I grew to love and idolize. I was fortunate to have a strong relationship with her from a very early age.
I remember so much about my visits to her house. She taught me how to appreciate the little things life brings~ grilled cheese sandwiches, vanilla ice cream with chocolate syrup and a cherry on top, bird watching, making chocolate pudding...and I taught her how to read the little spiciness meter on the jar of dill pickles...hey, I was little, what can I say?  We started so many little traditions between the two of us that I hold so close to my heart. Every day, faithfully, I would sit at the little breakfast nook in the kitchen while Grandma either heated up a bear claw with butter, or made homeade French toast for me for breakfast. Her French toast was the best, no matter what!! I would watch her crack the eggs and once in awhile, she would let me beat them a little. Just when I thought I would die of starvation for that wonderful delicacy, she would plop the bottle of Golden Griddle syrup in front of me and I was good to go! Then it was out to the living room where we would watch Sesame Street and Mister Rogers Neighborhood (I was quite the youngin'!!).
Lunchtime came around a little after The Price is Right hit the TV screen, and then it was either peanut butter and grape jelly or grilled cheese sandwiches with Lays potato chips and a sweet pickle, with a little clear plastic cup of milk (She made the best sandwiches, too!). Then she would bring me a bowl of ice cream and I would eat that while she watched the Young and the Restless. That show's theme song is just beautiful, and it is a song that I always associate with her. After my dessert, we would just sit and chat...well, as much chatting as I could do at that age! She always showed me how to keep things simple...that is, until Christmas rolled around! My grandma always knew what I liked, and she always bought LOTS OF IT!! I remember sitting down with her every year shortly after she would get her JC Penney's Wish Book and leafing through the pages, pointing out things that I liked. Then, on Christmas, I had a trail of presents running all the way across the living room and down the hallway. She knew how to spoil me, that's for sure! But, nothing meant more to me than the days we spent together. Those visits remained a treat for me for years, and the traditions were kept alive...      
I remember coming home after day camp in fifth grade to a dark house...and a crying mother. I asked her what was wrong and at first she didn't answer me. Then she told me. My grandma had developed skin cancer...  I went into shock. Then, I completely fell apart. Grandma invited me over and explained the situation and I tried to understand...my grandma was dying. The woman who's French toast I treasured and who's company I loved was dying, and there was nothing I could do about it. She had become my best friend.       
Her condition was mild at first, and our visits remained the same for about a month. After that...   I remember sitting next to her bed, talking to her about my day. Her eyes were closed and she couldn't respond. I went on talking anyways as if nothing had changed. After about a half hour, I told her goodbye and walked towards the door. I glanced back to see her raise her hand, eyes still closed, as if she was waving goodbye. That was the last response I got.      She died a couple of weeks later. Because of my age, it was difficult for me to grasp at first. It didn't make sense that my grandma was gone... I found
myself having difficulty sleeping and I couldn't concentrate. I was having difficulty showing emotion. It took me a few months to fully realize what had happened. My best friend was gone and there was nothing I could do to get her back. There would be no more sandwiches and ice cream. There would be no more birdwatching or sitting in front of the TV watching The Price is Right. Seven years later, I still have difficulty listening to the theme song from the Young and the Restless. There are still times where I would give anything to hear her comforting voice...to feel her supportive hug.      
To try and deal with the recent loss, I decided it was time to do some serious room re-decorating and went bed shopping with my dad. I picked out a black iron bunk bed with a desk in the bottom instead of a second bed. I gave my room a new look, and it was a great thing for me to do for myself. I adored laying up in the top of my new bed and looking out the window at the stars.
One night, I crawled up the ladder into my new bed as always, and my thoughts immediately drifted to my grandma. I looked up at my bare ceiling and said to myself, "I wonder how she's doing...I wish I could see her" then I glanced out my window. Something caught my eye and I looked back up at the ceiling...and gasped. Right above me...was my grandma's face, drawn entirely in stars on the ceiling. Within two seconds, the face was gone...and I cried. It was that night that I realized that my grandma was up with those stars I had looked at night after night, and I realized that she was my Guardian Angel. She always will be.

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