"Make it a good one, Strap."
This mildly famous "Hoosiers" line flooded my mind today after one of my twice-yearly face-to-face visits with my Grandma J.
It wasn't the subject matter that highlighted our conversation. We mostly talked about society, children, and our likes and dislikes.
It wasn't the setting, either. It was a pretty standard living-room chat, with food and drink intermittently present.
Still, this was a particularly pleasant and substantive talk. It was a great encounter filled with laughter and true, unconditional affection.
It also was, I'm quite certain, the last time my grandmother will be cognizant of who I am.
I didn't write that last sentence for pity or to evoke emotion. I wrote that last sentence because though life is hard, awareness fades and our years ultimately end, there's something strangely soothing about recognizing years of sweet smiles, roast dinners, selfless giving and, in general, amazing love — even as the source of those things is on the cusp of forgetting the whos, whys and wheres.
Today, Grandma J and I took the coach's advice. We made it a good one.
Friday, July 2, 2010
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Well played Sir Jake. Sadly I've been there. Doesn't it help to write it down sometimes?
ReplyDeleteGulp.
ReplyDeleteI think about this a lot. I like reading your perspective; obviously it's really different from mine. I'm going to have think about it some.
Have you ever read the "In case I forget you, I love you" post at girlfriday?
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ReplyDeleteIt's the ordinary moments that stand out later, I think. So sweet.
ReplyDeleteMoving comments, Jake!!!! I miss my granddaddy a lot and my last conversation with him was long before he died. Glad you wrote your last conversation down so you can remember.
ReplyDeleteWow, Jake, this is good.
ReplyDeleteOn a side note, who is writing on here in that foreign language?
Leslie, it must be a gliche. I'm trying to figure it out.
ReplyDelete