On August 27, I lost a dear love of my life, my grandmother, Frances Ralph Graham, for whom the love, life and travel is the subject of this documentary. This has been the most difficult time of my 40 years of existence. The thing about loving someone is that you never want it to go away, you want it to be ever present. Whether you are prepared or not, try as you may, but the loss of that love will rip away your heart. You will question if you said the right thing in those last quiet moments, did you do everything you could to let them know how much you cared about them. I have to live with the circumstances of my actions and do my best to find acceptance and appreciate that love and carry it with me. I have no regrets. Yet and still, at this moment, I still find it impossible to believe what has happened these last few weeks and I am overwhelmed and consumed by a great feeling of loss. How can one say goodbye to someone that they thought they could love forever?
Dearest Grandmother,
Nothing you have ever said to us or done with us had been without one purpose; your devotion to us as our grandmother. You have had a literal hand in all our lives from the beginning, whether it was simply babysitting for a night, taking us away for the summer, or moving in to be there first hand to help. At any moment of the day we could count on you for your support, or the important “Frances” advice, which was backed with your unique perception and encouragement that forced us to forge ahead and be greater than we ever could have imagined of ourselves. With everything we were to you, there will never be enough words to express what you will always be for us. Thank you for always loving us more, unconditionally and undeniably. We will miss you more than you know.
Forever Yours,
Carla