Dear Grandma

I was driving the other day, between my house in Craftsbury and my office in Hardwick, feeling quiet and at peace. The music is playing, my mind is at ease and the car moves smoothly through the S-curves of the road. Those stretches of quiet time are when I am most apt to think of those I have lost. Your memory looms large during those drives, especially now.

I miss our chats on the telephone, our email exchanges, the cards. I miss your laughter and your smile, your stories and your songs. I miss you. We all do.

I wish you knew my kids better. They are so full of giggles, with a sense of humor that is like your own. Peals of laughter fill my house most days and their happiness is thick.

Oh and the chatty-ness! Wow...they are a chatty group, striking up conversations with most anyone. Again, so joyfully like you.

Songs are sung most waking hours. We all like to sing. Recently, Mason came home with a note from the teacher, explaining that his penchant for singing at all hours of the school day were proving to be a distraction from the class' school work. Apparently, sometimes, all the kids join in. See? Even now, I can hear you chortling with laughter over that one.

I was glad to know you differently as an adult. We developed a friendship that I cherished and now miss. I'm thankful for the comfortable conversations, loving advice, stories and songs these past several years. I'm thankful, that you left in your wake, a group of strong women from who I continue to draw my own strength from. I'm thankful, that in spite of your absence, our family continues to gather and celebrate.

I don't believe in God or heaven, at least not yet, but I do believe in people and that is a belief that you had a large part in nurturing in me. I believe in the energy of people touching the lives of other people and having that carried on through the generations. I see in your children, my children and in myself, pieces of you that will continue to live on beyond all of us. Pretty cool, eh?

I love you Grandma. Merry Christmas.

Love always,

Elena