Weddingbee boards

Some quick backstory: My dad's mom, my grandmother, died when he was thirteen.  Her best friend stepped in to help raise my dad and uncle.  When I was very little, this woman asked me and my brother to call her Grandma, and I have ever since.  Thus, I have four grandmothers: my mom's mom, my dad's mom, Grandma, and my dad's dad's second wife.  

I wanted to carry something from each of them on my wedding day, and when I called Grandma last year to tell her about our engagement, I told her that.  It was especially important to me that I have something from her because I knew she wouldn't be able to make the wedding.  She lives quite far away, and her health is really poor.  Travel just isn't an option for her.  

Well, I just got an email from her:

Dear GreenEyedMoon,

Your mother stopped by last Thursday so I gave her the necklace that I am GIVING you, as something you can carry or wear down the aisle when you marry.  I feel so honored you asked for something of MINE you could carry down the aisle.  The gold was my mothers wedding rings melted down and the diamonds were part of her engagement ring.  I hope I can see u wearing it some day. Im so sorry i can't come to your wedding.

I love u dearly.

Grandma

I started sobbing.  I cannot believe how generous a gift that is.  She didn't have any daughters she could have passed this necklace on to, but she does have (natural) granddaughters not much younger than me who I'm sure would have been thrilled to have it, yet she chose me instead.  I'm crying.  I cannot believe how incredible a gift this is.  I am so very, very lucky to have a grandmother like her.

I'll post photos once I get the necklace!

Thank you, everyone!  I'm still just so excited.  I just got her phone number from my dad (I previously lost it along with my phone last summer), and I'm going to call her during lunch to thank her.  I'll bet I start crying all over again.

@FutureFoxWife:  That's one of the reasons I really wanted to have something from all my grandmothers.  Both my mom's parents passed when I was still really little, and I never knew my dad's mom.  My dad's step-mom is really cool, but she's not really like a grandmother, since she was very young compared to my grandfather, and a woman only five years older than my own mom does not a grandma make.  So my grandpa and my adopted grandma are all I have left, and I don't think I have much more time with either of them, unfortunately.

@rosworms:  LOL.

@yellowshoe:  She's an incredibly sweet, special lady.  When I was crying last night, FI hugged me and told me he can't wait to meet her.  I think we're going to have to plan a trip to Indiana next year.  I haven't actually seen her since the summer of 2008, since I moved abroad right afterwards and haven't been back there since I moved back to the US a year and a half ago.  :(

@MrsSl82be:  I'm so sorry for your loss, but I'm sure it was very special to have a piece of her with you down the aisle!  I'm looking forward to doing the same thing.  I'm going to wear or carry:

-My mom's veil
-My maternal grandmother's mink stole
-Grandma's necklace (which was her mother's wedding and engagement rings)
-Something from my paternal step-grandmother (still not sure what)
-Something from my paternal grandmother (still not sure what... I dunno that my grandpa even still has anything of hers he can give me, so there's a good possibility that it will just be a picture of her in a locket)
-The silver sixpence carried by FI's mom, grandmother, great-grandmother, and others in the current generation)

In other words, I'm going to be carrying a TON of good marriage familial juju.  :-D

Okay, I have a question for you ladies.  Do you have any ideas on how I can carry/wear the necklace on the wedding day?  I don't want to wear it as my necklace because I have my heart set on the string of pearls my dad gave me for Christmas last year.  I'm not sure how well it would go in my bouquet since I'm going to carry a brooch bouquet, and I don't want it to blend in with all the other sparkly brooches.  Do you ladies have any ideas for me?

Wow, teary eyed here.