GIGI'S GIFT

6/23/10 Ever the pragmatic one, Mother, aka Gigi to her grands, gave me (9 years ago) a gift for Josh, if and when he married, because she knew she wouldn’t be around for his special day. His would be the only grandchild’s wedding she would miss. Her gift (can’t tell b/c Megan reads the blog) even included her personalized recipe card for chocolate chess pie. Though somewhat incomplete---she cooked by feel---it had all the ingredients listed boldly, though in her cancer weak hand, and at the bottom was written---“Josh likes this.”
Gigi--- a tall, striking, very “ungrandmotherly” looking lady. She didn’t smell mothbally either, like so many grandmothers do---just ask her grandaughters who loved to get into Gigi’s make-up and the fancy bottles of perfume on her gold filigree tray.

Josh has always had a special relationship with his Gigi even when she treatened to “skin him alive” for running down the driveway as a 4 year old. He had always declared that if he ever married, (and that was a BIG IF) Gigi was the only one he was going to invite to the wedding and it was going to be in Las Vegas because he thought his Gigi would like a glittery place.

I guess Las Vegas lost its luster after Mother died because the wedding will be in Brooklyn, his and Megan’s “beloved borough.” I do regret that Mother never met Megan. She would have liked her and would have loved shopping in New York with her. She would have loved her Valentino’s too. Mother believed in stepping out in style (unlike her daughter) and the adorable PINK wedding shoes would have been right up her “fashion alley.” She would probably also threaten to “skin Josh alive” if he didn’t treat his bride/wife like a lady. Nestled in the ribbon of the package is a silver ice scoop because Josh loved Gig’s “sweet tea.” Always sweetened while warm and then chilled and served in glassware (no Tupperware for her.) with lots of ice. LOTS of ice, another Gigi rule. Hence, the scoop.

I’ll probably cry when I give it to them because Gig’s gift came at great cost---bought years ago as she suffered in her final stages of cancer. Her desire was for Josh to know that she wanted at least her gift to be at the wedding and then used throughout his marriage.