grandparents
Becoming a grandparent makes getting older something to look forward to - all the fun of parenting, without the hassle.
Shadows In The Hall
Chapter 7 The Shadow of Death…. The loss of my mother. Shortly after we moved from the boy’s camp, my birth Mother became quite ill, with extreme shortness of breath. Her condition became so exacerbated that she was admitted to Palo Alto Hospital. She was diagnosed with Mitral Valve Failure for which she received a Pig Valve replacement.
By Linda Pavlos5 years ago in Families
An Awkward Weight
Misery. No other word encapsulated Celia’s agony. She scanned the skies but found no hope of relief from the scorching sun. Its hostile rays broiled her skin - including the naked scalp revealed between the braided rows of hair. Her usual mocha brown complexion now appeared burnished to a deep mahogany. Or maybe some of it was dirt - which covered her from head to foot. Gone were her girlish curves - her once 5’ 7”, 130 pounds now appeared thin, muscled, and most unladylike.
By Maria Ware-Patterson5 years ago in Families
Diary of a King
The day started like any other Thursday morning: alarm clock blaring, birds chirping, breeze at my window. I sit up in my bed, stretch like a grizzly awakening from a past winter’s slumber, and rest my feet on the cold tiles in my bedroom. As I make my way to the bathroom for that glorious morning pee, I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror.
By Isaac Garden5 years ago in Families
There's Always Paris
My grandfather was an elusive character. He wore a blue beret that he bought one summer while on vacation in France. He loved that hat. Strange choice for a man who made a living as a steam fitter. Every once in a while, when I see those black and white photographs of men eating their lunches out of buckets, on steel beams 20 stories up, skyscrapers in the background, I wonder, what would those guys think about my Pop in that blue beret?
By Mary Gormley5 years ago in Families
Little Paper
I was nine years old when Grandpa decided it was time for me to propagate my very own fern. I chose a silver frond from the Ghost Lady that Grandpa had planted for Grandma behind the house. We tucked the frond with its neat rows of sporangia between two pieces of paper and when the spores fell, they created the shadow of a leaf against the white backdrop.
By Kara Ginther5 years ago in Families
My Irish Granny
"You want me to do what?" I stopped short. I was yelling at my frail little gray-haired granny with her coronet of braids and that lone little whisker hanging from her chin. I'd always wanted to just pull that strange black hair out and tried once as a child. She slapped my hand, and I never tried again. There she was, rocking slowly in that chair padded with what looked like dozens of quilts. It was a big chair and she would be lost in it otherwise. I softened my voice. "Granny, I don't understand why you would want me to do that."
By Kathy Parish5 years ago in Families
Alone or Lonely
Alone, Sara sits in her grandmother's attic. Tears flowing as she reflects over her life and the past year that led her to be in this moment. With so many people out of work and so many loved ones dying, 2020 had been a hard year for everyone. Sara is feeling like she can not catch a break.
By Kristy M Sorrow5 years ago in Families
Grandmothers Gift
The year 2020 … boy, what a time that was. The year of a pandemic that caused a global shut down. COVID-19 was a newly discovered airborne virus. Everything was shut down to ‘flatten the curve’ as they said. All concerts and major sports had been cancelled. Restaurants and local shops closed their doors. Borders shut down keeping all flights grounded. Everything ceased in what felt like a moments notice. This virus was spreading like wild fire, killing those infected at an alarming rate. Many had already lost their jobs. Some were forced to leave their job and stay home to take care of their families. Those who had a job, were accommodated to work at home as much as possible. High school seniors had to finish their grad year online and forfeit a graduation ceremony. University courses moved to online only. Even kindergarten moved to online check-ins once a week. COVID-19 saturated the media. The world’s top doctors came out with new information daily about the dangers and unknowns of this new virus. They claimed the symptoms matched that of the common cold or flu. If you had any symptoms you were to self quarantine in your home for 14 days. It was a dark and grim place.
By Calla Lily5 years ago in Families
He Existed
I never knew my grandfather. He was killed in the war when my mother was but a child. There survive no photographs of him, no physical evidence that he ever existed. My mother’s only enduring memory of him was a man in a uniform, who kisses her crying mother, then kisses her, then walks out of the front door of their home and never returns. She only told me this when the dementia had all but consumed her mind, and she no longer recognised me as her son. Her own mother never spoke about him, her grief at having lost her husband absolute, and she confessed in me, a stranger to her now, that she had always resented her for it.
By Ian M. Williamson5 years ago in Families
Anna's Little Black Book
Anna Wilson received her first little black book at the age of eleven. It was a gift from her Grandfather. It seemed an odd present in this electronic age, but an important one Anna would later learn. She, was a studious young girl, tall and willowy and he, a white haired man from the old country with a glint in his eyes when he spoke. Anna looked displeased as she opened the gift but quickly caught herself and smiled. “Thank You Grandpa” she said. Her words slightly disingenuous. Nothing could get by the old man, his eyes and ears may have lessened but his attention to the moment was unsurpassed. “May I tell you why I gave you that notebook Anna?” Grandpa asked, “Sure” Anna responded. “That notebook is an important tool for you to use in your life. It needs no batteries, no cords and no updates. Its pages are blank for a reason, to make room for your potential, yes, your potential. When you get a good idea, write it down. For ideas are peculiar things, they travel through the world looking for just the right person to bring it to life. If it’s not written down or acted on their memory quickly fades as they seek out another who will act upon it. Good ideas are worth capturing and writing down just as a person’s life is worth documenting. Do you understand?” Grandpa asked. “I think I do” Anna replied. “One more important thing, you must always keep it nearby at all times. Ideas are tricksters that like to pounce when you’re least prepared.” Grandpa laughed.
By Jeff Henningsgaard5 years ago in Families
