My grandmother once told me that if she was ever stranded on a deserted island she’d want her friend Kathy or me there with her…because we were the only ones who knew how to listen.
Everyone who met my grandmother knew that she could talk until your ears fell off. She’d probably tell you the same stories, too, if you stuck around long enough. Sometimes it wasn’t even what she said that made me sit in a chair opposite her, but how she said it. Her voice was strong and confident and it made me shake my head _ yes, yes ma’am, I do understand. _ Even when I didn’t.
I learned so many things just by listening to her. How to properly make a bed. How to fry chicken. How to apply makeup. How to park a car. How to buy the right bra. How to sit like a lady.
And there were the things left unsaid, too. Like the importance of keeping long and lasting friendships. Waiting to find the right man to marry. Disciplining a child without spanking them. The art of self actualization. Forgiving others. Forgiving yourself.
Her voice still calls out to me tonight. With stories I’ve heard my entire life and the unspoken words between us.
I will miss you, Grandmother.
