My maternal grandmother Estill Winfree Barksdale passed away on Saturday night. She was 101 years old.

I was fortunate to grow up near all of my grandparents and many other elder relatives.
They each had some impact on my perception of the world, on what I think is important, and on how I try to lead my life.

But it's the little things about Grandmother that flood my mind today... from lemonade made pink with juice from the bottle of maraschino cherries always in her refridgerator when I was little, to the firmness of her grip several weeks ago when I last saw her.

She was extraordinary, and I will miss her.