Hero.

Lois Finnegan

(August 3, 1927 - April 7, 2001)

This beautiful lady is my "Grama Figanin".

She is undoubtedly my hero.

This woman encompassed everything I strive to be.

She was smart, kind, tactful, caring, and strong.

She raised six children, worked outside of the home, worked the business side of the farm, and so much more.

She lost my Gramdpa, Lloyd Finnegan, in 1981.

At the time she lost my Grandpa to Malignant Melanoma, (Skin Cancer), she was 52, and still had an 11 year old son to raise.

The perseverance of my Gram astonishes, and inspires me.

I can still remember her stressing the importance of good manners, and proper word choice.

She used to drive me nuts with her, "Oh my gosh, not oh my god."

But she sometimes forgot her own rules, one of my mom's favorite stories is about on of my gram's few language slip-ups.

Gram must have said, "shit", then realizing I heard her, corrected herself, and said, "shoot, not shit".

Well to make a long story short, I assumed that I should say "shoot, not shit" when I felt frustrated, so whenever I would drive my little "beep-beep" truck into the wall I would yell at the top of my lungs, "SHOOT, NOT SHIT."

I have always idolized my Gram, and I basically became her adopted child, along with my cousin Molly Finnegan.

Everyday I would call Gram up and say the same thing, "Hello Grandma, can I come over?"

Who could say no to that?

Gram, Molly, and I would go for incredibly long car rides down backroads.

Gram had to make the rounds and see what other people were doing.

She and her best friend Hazel Cote were quite the queens of gossip.

Her car rides usually ended with a "smartie candy" collection by Molly and I.

Afterwards we would drive the tricycles in circles around the garage and breezeway.

Sometimes Molly would even get to drive the lawnmower, making me a very jealous boy.

Losing my Gram the day before my eighth birthday was by far the hardest thing I have ever had to deal with. Molly, (my Gram's second adopted child) lost Gram two days after her birthday.

She certainly didn't pick a great time to leave us.

My Gram taught me more about life than anyone has ever has, I am eternally grateful for the time I was lucky enough to spend with her.

She was a blessing. I miss that lady more than anything, and I think about her daily.

The lessons learned and the memories had are priceless.

I wish she was still here, I wish she was able to be there at my graduation, I wish I was able to dance with her at my wedding, but I know she will be there in spirit.

One of the songs that used to play on our long car rides makes me think about her being here in spirit. The Lonestar song, "I'm already there" says,

"I'm already there

Don't make a sound
I'm the beat in your heart
I'm the moonlight shining down
I'm the whisper in the wind
And I'll be there until the end
Can you feel the love that we share"

RIP Gram.

I miss you.

Gram and I

Gram and I after Tot-time graduation.

Gram with most of her grandchildren.

I am thankful for...

This is my cousin, Anne Scoppa.

Anne isn't your like your average woman, she's is better.

Anne hadn't seen me in years, but as soon as I walked into my Grandparents house yesterday she was ready for a hug, and a kiss on the cheek.

Anne quickly directed me to her works of art on the dining room table.

She proceeded to carry on a conversation with me about her coloring book, and her favorite colors.

Art has become one of Anne's favorite things, and for good reason.

Anne's art has been featured on her mothers Facebook page for a while now.

The progress Anne has made with her painting is very impressive. Originally someone else would pencil sketch what she was going to paint, but now Anne does it all.

After discussing her paintings, Anne wanted to map out birthdays.

Anne was so excited to discover we were both born in April.

Her excitement was followed by a high-five, and a smile.

Anne also taught my grandmother and I some of her sign language she commonly uses.

She was most excited to teach us the sign for "friend".

After telling Gram and I about where she lives, her friends, and her excitement about skating, she started on her favorite topic, her family.

Anne's love for her family is amazing. She speaks so highly of her sister (Jean), and her brother (Jerry). Anne's love for her nieces and nephews is just as amazing, her stories about them are adorable.

I have a great deal of respect for her family for raising such an incredible woman.

I am very proud to be related to them, the Scoppa family is one in a million.

They have raised Anne to be a beautiful, loving, and talented woman.

(Below are some of Anne's paintings)

My first real post?

Perhaps I should blog more often?

I think I will set a goal of at least one blog a week.

Maybe this will become a journal of sorts.

Who really knows though?

The answer to that question could be God.

God was the biggest topic of discussion for Anastasia Hull and I tonight.

We discussed our beliefs, our disbelief's, and our ideas about the here and the here after.

I should disclose my lack of a set system of beliefs for religion, and most everything else as well.

I don't fit into the category of any religion that I am aware of.

My family is Catholic on both my mom's side, and my dad's.

I am very thankful they forced me to go to church school all of those years.

I am even more thankful that they told me my faith was my choice after I completed church school.

It is hard for me, and I would assume a lot of other people, because of conflicting beliefs to fit into a denomination entirely.

I ask myself, self, is it okay to be a Catholic, and be pro-choice, and support love of all varieties?

The sad reality is that having liberal views, or having conservative views, can and often does pit you against people whose beliefs differ from yours.

This becomes difficult when you have close friends with views very different than your own.

The solution, then, is tolerance, and respect.

It is an amazing thing when two people with incredibly different views can discuss their beliefs with a level of respect.

I am very thankful for that, and more specifically the growth of people who a few months ago would have left a conversation regarding a similar subject feeling angry, and resentful a few months ago. Hopefully the minds of people will continue to open, respect, and tolerate views they might not understand, in order to form more meaningful friendships, and most of all love one another for their differences.

I think that's all I have to say for tonight.