30 Years Ago …

30 years ago I was struck with the grief of losing my first grandparent, my maternal grandmother Josefina.  I was just a little kid and up until then the concept of death had only been experienced with the passing of a goldfish.  I hardly got to know her, but my mother always tells me that she had a fire inside her, that I would have enjoyed her sense of humor, and that she would have been immensely proud of every little thing that me and my older sister have accomplished.  

She is the second namesake of Janina & Josefina because she will always be a part of me.  The memory of her doesn’t just live on in the photographs that I have, but also in me.  I named my small business after the two of us because we have both been strong, independent, Lithuanian women.  And we always will be.  I know that if she was here today, she would be the first in line to pick out something new that I have created.  I wish I had had more time to get to know her, but in a way, diving deeper into my Lithuanian culture and embracing the woman that I am helps me to be closer with her.  

Thank you for supporting Janina and Josefina!