The Woman Who Showed Me How To Get Through The Hard

Genevieve Ann. There’s a lot that I can say about her. She’s fierce. She makes me laugh. I know if I call her I’ll feel better. I don’t dare miss a Thursday call from her. It’s been our thing since I was little. There was that one time in college where she called me 3x’s upset that I didn’t call her because it’s Thursday.

Then she realized it was Wednesday. 

She and my Papa made quite a team. I remember I wanted my marriage with whoever I married to be like theirs. They set the bar high for us. Which I appreciated because I dated some losers that I thought I could see forever with, but it didn’t have the Gary and Genny feel no matter how much I tried to force it.

Until Jeremy.

I’m grateful they set the bar so high with their over 65 year marriage. 

MeeMee has always known my potential and helped me to see it myself. I still get emotional to this day from the text she sent me telling me that she was my biggest cheerleader and she is always here for me. 

Over the years she has showed me how you gracefully get through the hard.

That it’s ok to admit that you’re sad or mad.

But don’t stay there, life will go on, and you have to see the good. 

She’s usually the first phone call I make when something amazing happens and sometimes when something sad happens. I’m usually a coward and let my mom tell her bad news, I prefer to be the uplifting one.

She prays for everything and anything.

When she tells you she’s praying you know she’s praying.

She has her core group of friends that we’ve all grown up with. They are her biggest cheerleaders. They show up in the hard, and they always bring Covered Bridge Pizza, which is an added bonus.

When I’m MeeMee’s age I pray that I can have friends like that.

I remember when my Papa was in his final days and we were there, every single friend showed up at some point to check in on us, make sure we had eaten, give us a hug, and tell us that they loved us.

Papa’s death was a little easier knowing that we were loved and MeeMee had an army of loving humans to help her through. 

MeeMee is everyone’s rock.

She shows up with this huge presence for someone who is petite. She doesn’t mess around and handles the situation. I remember her presence getting off the elevator that day in May, when we were all a little lost in the Neuro ICU, when my dad had his stroke. 

I remember her coming to visit shortly after Whit’s NICU discharge. She sat down, took Whi,t and I got a nap because I knew he was in the best possible hands.

She has always been Whit’s biggest cheerleader.

Checking in, buying him the clothes he’s most comfortable in and keeps on.

She believes in the miracle that he will talk one day…

That’s a hope we have and as his mom sitting in those appointments I don’t 100% think it’ll happen because I don’t want my heart to be broken.

But MeeMee believes it, so it’s hard not to get excited about the thought he may talk one day.

She has sat in several therapy sessions, each time marveling at how amazing Whit is, how hard he works, and how much she loves watching him. 

I love and appreciate the legacy that my MeeMee has so much, we decided to name our daughter after her.

Genevieve.

We decided that there was already one Genny in the family so we call her Vivi.

She has some big shoes to fill with such a name.

I remember being pregnant with her and imagining what she would be like. I hoped she’d be like my MeeMee. In her toddler years, she’s proving more to be like her Omie, my mom, but I can only hope as she grows up she’ll be like my MeeMee. 

MeeMee has the most contagious laugh.

I can hear it when she sends me something funny. There are so many situations where I have heard that laugh.

Like the time we were at Walmart. We were back to school shopping and my Papa couldn’t find my MeeMee, and was ready to go. They called over the intercom, “will Genny please report to customer service”. She kept saying, “I think they’re saying my name” so we went to investigate and sure enough there he was ready to go. We left our cart and went home. We laugh about that situation still today.

My absolute favorite story that I love to tell and can’t do it justice in writing because there are arm motions and voiceovers, is there was a time after Good Friday Service that we went through the drive thru at KFC. My Papa hated to order, so he would make MeeMee do it. He pulled up to order, at the time, KFC’s promotion was, order your food in a minute or less or get a free coffee.

MeeMee simply yells “HELLO WE’LL TAKE A CHICKEN!”

The microphone was quiet. I assume they were laughing like we were in the backseat. 

Then the girl said: “what kind?!” 

And my MeeMee said, “A CHICKEN.”

The girl nervous, because she was about to hit the minute mark with no order said, “Mam we have crispy, rotisserie, original, we just need to know what kind you want.”

MeeMee began laughing and said, “Oh rotisserie.” 

To this day anytime we are having chicken we feel obligated to say “WE’LL TAKE A CHICKEN.” 

My MeeMee made sure all her grandkids were happy and loved. We took trips to Canada with she and my Papa, did back to school shopping, and spent countless years at the lake with them. They are some of the best memories that I hope I can duplicate in some way. My Papa always taught us about our attitude. MeeMee always taught us about gratitude. To be grateful when it’s hard. Be grateful when you’re happy. Be grateful in the lowest points of your life. 

I can’t truly put into words what my MeeMee means to me. She’s always been my person. My most favorite memories have her in them. This past year with Covid has been hard. We have stayed away so she can be ok. The Althaus’ are a germ infested family because of school and therapy. We do FaceTime but it’s not the same as being in MeeMee’s presence. She is the best. 

Dear MeeMee,

In this season of love I want to take a moment to pay tribute and thank you for everything. I am who am because of you. I’m grateful everyday for you. You are the best. Thank you for loving me when it seemed hard. Believing in me in my crazy dreams. Laughing with me. And being there in the hard. You will never know how much I truly love you.

So grateful for you. 

Written by, Lindsey E. Althaus

Lindsey is a mom, wife, and blogger at The Althaus Life. She lives in Ohio with her husband and 2 children. Her son Whitman is 6 and has Autism, Apraxia, and Epilepsy. Genevieve is 3 and is the life of the party always keeping Lindsey and Jeremy on their toes. Lindsey is grateful all things and to be able to chronicle her beautifully broken laugh til you cry cry until you laugh life.

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