by Anna Heiar
A school gym is where we all stayed to celebrate our holidays.
The noise you could hear can only be described as spectacular.
Boys playing basketball, slaughtering each other and spewing crude insults back and forth.
The mingle of adults talking about their harvest for the year and the high pitched laughter of an aunt who’s had a few too many glasses.
The delightful screams of children as tag becomes a matter of life or death.
The giggling of girls as they chase their male cousins around with bright red lipstick and striking blue eyeshadow.
The wide grins of everyone as they take their turn talking with Great Grandma and Grandpa who can’t believe how much their family has grown.
Then one Thanksgiving we were not allowed back in the gym.
No worries, we say as we head to a rec center twice as small. We make it work, except there’s
No bouncing of basketballs,
No giggling girls,
The children’s shrieks become much softer,
But at least we still have Great Grandma and Grandpa.
Until it was just Great Grandma.
She moved into a nursing home. Everyone did their best to visit, we really did.
It was just hard with little kids.
She still made it to the parties, just for a little while.
Seven years still kicking it in that little wheelchair of hers.
But things weren’t the same without Great Grandpa.
Tears were shed, and songs were sung at those little parties of ours.
The rooms just kept getting smaller.
Fewer people showed up, things got in the way.
Family, vacation, sports to play.
I don’t blame them, we’ve missed some too.
Other things seemed more important.
We only put the parties on for Great Grandma. She loved them dearly.
She’d talk with everyone, she never remembered my name.
I mean, she was old, 91 last Fall.
She loved to see us anyways, smiled and patted our hands.
We’d tell her about school and our plans that laid ahead,
She could never really hear us or quite understand.
Last year was the first time there was no party.
No basketballs in sight,
No screams were heard,
And there wasn’t even a peep from giggling girls
But Great Grandma wasn’t alone, not even close.
We spent an hour talking, just her and my family.
The stories she told, you wouldn’t believe.
She got married on a Tuesday at 8 o’clock
We said, that’s so early!
She replied despite her severe tremors, we’re farmers after all!
Letters from her husband were pinned on the wall, you better believe we read them all.
We told her about our lives, I even sang a song.
She said it was beautiful and I tried not to let the tears fall.
What a wonderful woman to have in our life.
We said, we’ll be back to visit at Christmas!
And she smiled so wide.
We may not have the parties, but at least we have her.
Until we didn’t.
Three days after Christmas she couldn’t fight anymore.
I didn’t get it, not at first.
It took a week to realize that she’s truly gone.
Such a holy woman, it’s so sad to see her go.
It’s selfish to wish to keep her here when her husband is up above.
Though she’s gone, I still see her.
We saw her outside our window, disguised as a cardinal.
The old Christian myth must be real, that bird was her.
She perched upon a branch, and in all her grace and beauty I felt her presence.
I knew she was sitting up there with her husband watching over their family with pride.
Tears filled my eyes as I realized I was not alone.
With her up in heaven, I knew I was protected.
She expects great things from me, she knows who I’m meant to be.
I will always love you Great Grandma, and I promise not to let you down.