In this photo I had just found out that I was pregnant with Adi when we attended a birthday party for Great Grandma Costello and the news was on the down-low, but we were sure to let her know that she had a Great-Great-Grandchild on the way. Blanche was always such a bright and shining woman. Her amazing health always fooled me into believing that she was much younger than her years. Cam says she would have turned 100 this summer. This morning, she went home to be with the Lord.
Blanche gave us a beautiful Christmas cactus when she moved from her house in Williamsburg to "the castle" - the assisted living center where she had an apartment, if you've been to Williamsburg, IA you know what I'm talking about. My understanding was that the plant was about 30 years old, this could have been an exaggeration but it really is huge, just for the record. She said it hadn't bloomed for many years but that didn't stop us from giving it a new home. The first year we had the cactus it bloomed prolifically. It was stunning. We were shocked and were sure to take plenty of photos for Blanche to see. I think it made her happy to see her old plant decided to show off for its new caretakers. Now, more than ever I feel completely honored to be the owners of this plant and I'm grateful that I've managed to care for it this long and it has bloomed every year since we've had it (about 6 or 7 years).
We'll miss Blanche and her sweetness. Her kind smile and warm eyes. Adi is trying to understand what it all means and we're trying to tread lightly while answering her questions honestly. It's hard, I know. As an adult, I don't really understand death so to explain it to my little girl is quite a challenge. But it's a tender thing and we're treating it as such. We're choosing to mourn, but celebrate as well. Just as we trust the angels in heaven are celebrating the arrival of beloved Blanche Costello.
Good-bye, Great-Grandma Costello
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