Just as we were learning that we would be blessed with a fourth child we learned of the passing of my grandmother, Dorothy Faye Tatham.
Stories about grandma abound, and yet are hard to put into words. She was the quintessential grandma (with 11 grandkids, now 17 great grandkids, and 1 great great grandkid she had to be!). She looked like, spoke like, and hugged like the definition of a grandma in the dictionary. (This is hard to explain now, but those that met her would say just that!)
I remember when she and grandpa would come to babysit us kids almost once a year when my parents went out of town. It was always such a special time. Somehow we all knew that even though she was grandma, the rules were still the rules, and yet they did not feel like that when she was in charge. She always made sure the house ran the same as always, but in her special way. There was always something special in everything she did.
She cooked for us, just like mom, but she made us Jello and Deviled eggs, two things my mom never made. (we are having deviled eggs at Kiddush in her honor)
She once bet me that I could not keep a secret from my parents. I had learned to ride my two-wheeler while they were away. We both gave in fifty cents as the bet, and I kept my mouth shut tight until we were out of the airport and in the car. I won, and somehow that made my new skill all the more special.
Her birthday cards were always so important. Signed ‘all our love’ meant that until the next kid’s birthday, I had it all and didn’t have to share! I just received one, from grandpa now, for my birthday with all his love, so Rachel and Ben, you guys are out of luck!
Her ability to understand troubles and to comfort, just by smiling and smelling like grandma still comes to me when I see all the different hand made items we have around the house, from the Challah cover, to the blankets, to the cloth baby books which all my kids have played with here at Shul.
My grandma was one of the most special and precious souls known to us. She always loved unconditionally; understanding everyone while still expressing herself, her beliefs and her desires. Yakira’s first name comes from this quality of grandma, meaning precious, Yakira’s name expresses our prayer that she will come to know these qualities of grandma within herself. As well, grandma’s first name, Dorothy, means gift from the gods, in Greek. Yakira is our precious gift from Hashem.
Emunah, Yakira’s middle name, means Faith, just as grandma’s middle name Faye come from the root meaning faith. Grandma’s faith, while not Jewish, and most of her life not any religion at all may seem, on description, to be lacking but was not. She had faith in people, in herself, and in us kids. She had faith in love, and in life. Even when things were hard for her, and I know from her history that those times were not few, she loved, lived, and continued on with her faith.
And to Yakira Emunah, we give you this name in the hopes that your preciousness, your faith, and your precious faith will mimic my grandma, Dorothy Faye, and we know that her soul will lead you on the right path in your life.