Photos from December 2007: Trip to Denver for Sittu's Memorial
On November 28, my grandmother, whom I called "Sittu", died at the age of 86, after 7 years in a nursing home. She was very dear to me, and since funerals are also family gatherings, all four of us flew to Denver for her memorial (12/7) and the long weekend after. Here is what I said at the memorial:
For those of you who don’t know me, I’m Craig Persiko, Bo’s second son, and one of Lenda’s grandsons. I always called her Sittu, so I’m not going to stop now.When I got a little choked-up reading this, Serafina came up to the podium and hugged my leg, so I picked her up and held her for the last part. I thought it was very sweet.For most of my childhood, Sittu was my favorite person. My parents were alright, too, but Sittu was definitely my favorite. She was always so lighthearted, easygoing and fun. I remember she and I used to have whole conversations in our own made up language of babble - a tradition which my daughter Serafina loves. Sittu was also full of interesting stories and worldly experiences. She gave so much of herself. For many years, the definition of the word "generous" in my mind was, "the way Sittu and Grandpa treat people."
Grandpa was certainly generous and loving, but he could be a little intimidating, too. I remember one time when I was about 10 years old, I was with Sittu and Grandpa, and he said something that felt gruff or stern to me, and I wasn’t sure how to take it. When he was out of earshot, Sittu said to me something like, "Don’t worry about Grandpa: When in doubt, I always assume he’s joking." That comment stuck with me because I found it so incredible as a kid. She had a great ability to see the best in people.
I remember Sittu telling me on at least one occasion her philosophy of life: "What’s the point of life if not to make it easier for others?" She certainly lived by this credo.
Once I reached adulthood, Sittu often encouraged me to think of myself as a role model for others. She is certainly one of my role models. Now I believe that she lives on through us when we follow her example.
Later that day, we lit candles for Hanukkah in my dad's hotel room, and exchanged some gifts:
Here's my dad with his wife Sue and her daughter Rianna:
And here's my uncle Bob who flew out from Germany, and his wife's aunt Lois. Notice who's peeking into the bottom of the frame:
Finally, here are Mark and Ellen with Serafina:
The next day, Dad and Bob joined the four of us on an outing to the Denver Children's museum, which was most impressive. We stayed for most of the day, giving the kids a great chance to play, and us a time for more extended adult conversation. Serafina always goes for the costumes:
While we were in Denver, several inches of snow fell, so the kids got their first real exposure to snow. They really enjoyed it for about 5 minutes at a time, before they got too cold:
On Sunday the 9th, we spent a few hours at Cherry Creek Mall, which has a popular kids' play area. Here Toby found the padded surfaces allowed for great jumping, which he did again and again and again for us, counting to three each time before jumping. The blur in this first picture is some other kid running by as I took the picture - the place was full of kids running, like watching molicules of gas trapped in a room:
