A little extra effort

I've been very thoughtful lately....not thoughtful as in kind but thoughtful as in thinking a lot.  I'm gonna be honest, I'm a little emotional about this post.  Growing up I was very close to my grandmother.  I'm named after her and spent my childhood being known as "Little Greta" simply b/c there was also a "Grandma Greta".  I would spend a lot of my summer at her house with her and grandpa, fishing and learning to play rummy.  We lived with them from the time I was 2 until I was 6 years old.  I remember her being the one to sew all my Raggedy Anns when they got a little too raggedy.  She also made comforters for all of us kids and I still have mine.  While I learned sewing from my mom, I still associate sewing and Raggedy Ann sewing with my grandma.  As I've been working on making my dolls, Grandma has been on my mind quite a bit.
 
Now, as an adult, my relationship with Grandma has been different.  She was not happy with me when I became a mormon and I spent a part of my early marriage not speaking to my grandparents. But once Sam was born I worked hard to repair that relationship and all four kids met my grandparents before Grandpa passed away last year.  Unfortunately, it felt like Grandma died alongside Grandpa.  She doesn't talk to us much and sometimes she pretends to not remember us.  It's really broken my heart that I can't be close to her.  Especially now when I'm making these dolls, Grandma has just been in my brain and today I began to make a little extra effort.  Today I started making Grandma's doll.  I selected the fabric with her in mind.  I carefully picked out and arranged every detail--from which part of the fabric makes up the apron straps to how the bottom of the shoes show certain pictures.  I even cut out the collar to match the shoe straps!  I've put my heart and soul into this doll and the details.  I hope to finish the doll in the next week or so and mail it to Grandma with a little note.  I pray that she will see what I'm trying to share with her.  I hope that this little extra effort will just be a good way to say "I love you".  I hope that if anybody can speak to Grandma, it will be Raggedy Ann.