Ok here goes: Get out your kleenex.
My grandmother was a collector of ladybugs. There were everywhere in her house and growing up I specifically remember these four little ladybug magnents on her fridge. I loved them and that was the highlight of going to my grandmother's. She also had this ugly baby sh!t green tape dispenser that had hand painted ladybugs on it. It was ugly but it was so my grandmother.
All of my grandmother's friends called her "BUG". She was all of 4'9" and about 70 lbs.
When my cousin had her first child and he was old enough to speak he couldn't say great grandma so she requested that he call her "GG Bug" so it stuck, all of my grandmother's great grandkids called her "GG Bug" (she passed on before my kids ever met her)
When my grandmother was spending her last days in the hospital hooked up to all sorts of machines the weirdest thing happened. She had a little red ladybug sitting on her pillow. It stayed there for 3 straight days, and the day she finally died we all watched it fly from her pillow. (wiping tears)........On that day we all said that my grandmother was reincarnated as a ladybug. A week later my ex-husband and my house was infested in ladybugs. Hundreds of them all over, we couldn't figure out what on earth. My EH started batting at them and I yelled "NO" it's my grandmother trying to tell us something. They were there for a week, I don't know why but they were.
The day I found out I was pregnant, I left the doctors office and there on my hand flew a ladybug. I knew my grandmother was there for my special day.
The day I gave birth to my second child, a ladybug was on her in her carseat when we brought her home.
The day I got married, to my now husband, in the dead of winter (12/26/05) a ladybug flew into my room where I got ready and stayed on my dresser.
My family has many more stories like this, all of them different but everytime a special or sad event happen in our lives my grandmother ("BUG") is there with us to share.
I have a ladybug tattoo on my big toe and wear a ladybug bracelet everyday in memory of my grandmother.
Ok enough crying for me today......I'm off to go graduate, and then maybe a few more tears.
I hope you enjoyed my story Deb.