Little Randi--in memorium

One of my all-time favorite family vacations was the trip we took to Norway two summers ago. We had the best time meeting people I'd only heard about for most of my life but never seen. All my immediate family went, except one of my brother-in-laws (who took care of all the animals of four households: 8 cats, 3 dogs, and a horse), so there were 10 of us for most of the two week trip.

We spent at least half of the time with relatives. My dad's parents were from southern Norway, so we made the pilgrimage from Oslo along the southern route to Bergen and back, visiting along the way. It was a delicious time on so many levels. One of the delights was a dinner with more than 50 aunts, uncles, cousins belonging to my grandmother's family. Such a gathering of family!

They obviously were very close, but they made us feel as if we were more than American curiosities. My parents had been over to visit them before, and a few of them had been to America to visit my grandparents, but this was the first time for the 3 grandchildren (my sisters and me) and the 4 great-grandchildren. (We all thought it the most beautiful place we've ever seen...not an ugly view anywhere!)

For me, there were two ladies who were of particular interest: the ones I was named after--"Little Randi" and "Ingeborg Randi." I'm thinking especially of Little Randi because my parents received a call today saying she had passed away. I felt so sad when I heard this. I immediately remembered her as I saw her last, so excited to see us, talking to us like crazy in Norwegian, oblivious to the fact that we didn't get very much of what she was saying. Every now and again she'd say "Ya, ya." And we'd laugh and say it back to her. And she'd laugh and smile...and all that mattered was that we understood clearly the meaning of family.

I feel her loss tonight.

Photos: The view from Ingeborg Randi's home; my nieces and "Little Randi;" my nephew and Little Randi; the three Randi's (Ingeborg on the right, myself on the left); lupin in an old church graveyard where several family members are buried.