The Gray Snapper

Have I ever told y'all how good my mom was at cards. Gin Rummy to be exact. She won almost every time against anybody. Usually it went something like this:

you would be looking at the 10 cards in your hand, she would draw a card, you would hear "snap, snap, snap" from her snapping her books of cards on the table (she would always put her thumb down on them and snap the tops down with her first two fingers with assertion), she would look up at you and smile as you noticed that she had no cards left (and usually cursed out of frustration because this wasn't the first time this happened.

So that's how she got the "Snapper" part of her nickname. The "Gray" came from her hair.

My mom always wanted to have short gray hair, but she didn't have the guts to cut it all off and let all of the color go. Well, during her first stay in the hospital (she ended up staying there for the better part of 3 months) she started to loose her hair from the intense treatments of chemotherapy and radiation. Finally, she asked me to shave her head. I didn't know what to say. She was tired of looking so "sickly" with her hair partially fallen out. I agreed because I would do anything for her. I told her that we were going to turn that hospital room into a salon and she would have the best haircut ever (even I can handle shaving...haha)

We began and she was so nervous, but after about the second pass, I could feel her get a little "lift" to her. It was like Demi Moore in that GI Jane scene. She felt a little bit like a bad ass I'm sure. It gave her the feeling of control and like she would take charge of this part instead of letting the treatment do it. Anyone who knew my mom, knew she wasn't going to go the wig route, she went the hat route instead. She was adorable!!!

Then, when her hair grew back, it grew back gray and she never had it for long enough between treatments for it to get very long, so there she had it.... her short gray hair. She loved it. I think she looked so good!

Well, she no longer has that gray hair, but my dad put the Queen of Hearts from her favorite deck of cards with her. Then when he passed away, my sister and I put the King of Hearts with him. And now they are side by side, the royal pair!

So, here's to the Gray Snapper!