Memorial Day

I am a very traditional person, so Memorial Day always finds me at the cemetery, silk flowers in hand.

When I was younger my Granny was dedicated about making her way to both cemeteries to see all the family members who had gone on before her.

When I was old enough to drive, I had the occasional year to accompany her. She took her time, wandering from stone to stone.

She would brush off a little bit of dirt.

She would hand me the silk flowers so I could bend down to stick them into the ground when she got a little less spry.

I love history and she would tell me about each person who had gone on, how I was related to them and always a little anecdote about them. 

The last few memorial days I spent with her, we never made an arrangement.

I would just show up at her house at a random time of the day.

She would gather her silk flowers, fluff her hair, and put on her favorite pink lipstick.

Off we'd go, into the heated day and walk amongst our dead.

The very last year we went together, I didn't want to go.

I convinced myself that, surely, some other family member had already picked her up and taken her.

It had happened before.

But guilt gnawed at me, and finally at about 7:30 in the evening I drove to her house.

She answered the door with a look on her face that was a little sad.

I smiled at her. "Has anyone came to take you to see Grandpa yet?"

"Well, no." she replied.

"Well come on then!! We're losing sun!!"

A little light came into her eyes and she scampered as much as an 84 year old woman could to the bathroom.

"Let me hurry and put on lipstick. Your Grandpa would just die if he saw me with out it!!"

She fluffed her hair.

I saw a grocery sack sitting on her table filled with dozens of fake flowers in various colors.

My heart twinge a little.

How could I have almost missed this? It was so simple and I had been so grouchy about it.

I scooped it up and peered into it. There were some faux lilacs. There always was. That was Grandpa's favorite color.

She was ready and we headed out to the car.

I couldn't look at her when I apologized. "I'm sorry I'm so late Granny."

She shooed it away with a wave of her hand. "You're here now!!"

We walked around the hot, rocky ground at the Overton cemetery. 

All of her family is there. Her parents, siblings, cousins.

We talked about them and she told me how defiant she was as a young girl to her parents.

She slyly grinned at me and glanced at me from the corner of her eye.

"Guess the apple didn't fall far from the tree."

I glared at her mockingly, but I can't deny it.

We headed over to Logandale.

It was so still.

No one else was there.

She went straight to my Aunt Pat and handed me the bundle of pink flowers she had.

I knelt down and shoved them in as deep as I could so they would blow away.

I brushed a little dirt off her name and rose to my feet.

We wandered past a few relatives, the rebels buried in Logandale!!

We got to my Grandpa.

I was handed the lilacs.

When I stood and turned, I saw a tear slide out from under her big glasses.

I saw a pair of brown eyes that matched my own filled with shimmering tears.

She put her arm around me and squeezed me hard.

"I didn't think anyone was going to come. Thank you for coming to get me. You're a good little girl lady bug."

I laughed a little to hide my own tears.

"I'm hardly little anymore Granny."

I wrapped my arms around her and rested my head against her shoulder.

I felt the familiar feeling of her stroking my hair with her hand.

She always stroked my hair because she thought it was so soft.

"Oh you'll always be my little girl."

Granny died 6 months later.

I will never forget that day. 

We stood looking at my Grandpa's head stone for a few more minutes.

Then we wiped our tears, teased each other for crying, and went back to the car. 

I will never forget how I felt and what was said.

That day I realized how old my Granny was.

That her time in mortality was not going to be much longer.

I am so glad I went to her house that evening.

I am so glad we got to spend that time together.

That special day that belonged to only us.

I miss you Granny.

I love you so much.