I wrote this for my Granny 10 years ago when I was 19 and mailed it to her. When I was getting married, I framed it and presented it to her again.
As a small child I naively sat on your lap and patted your wrinkled cheek with my chubby hand and told you I loved you.
All I saw in your face was age and all I saw in your eyes was love for me.
I didn’t see all the memories or stories that had caused all those lines.
Nor, did I see the love, laughter, and joy that had so carefully etched each of those memories in your face.
When I was young, you seemed so old, now that I’m older you seem so much younger. Which of us has changed so much that it now seems as if you are cheating time and growing younger while I constantly keep getting older.
Where did all that time go when I was young?
All those hours spent playing dress up and board games…
How I wish that I had taken the time to get to know you.
The real you.
The girl you were, before you became the grandmother who wiped away my tears, kissed away all of my pains and laughed as I pretended that I was “wonder woman” while running haphazardly through your house in my underwear.
Now that I am finally old enough to appreciate all the time you gave to me, and now that I can finally see that those wrinkles aren’t wrinkles they are just life’s beauty marks: there to let everyone know that you have truly lived loved lost laughed, but most of all survived.
And now, now that I want that time to learn and listen and hear all the stories that you have to tell.
Now there isn’t enough time.
Every phone call I mean to make every letter I mean to write and every visit I mean to make.
It just seems like time is slipping too quickly through my fingers.
I know I cannot stop time or turn back the hands of that mythical clock. But I can remember all that you so wisely taught the little girl that I was: Compassion, Faith, Laughter, Love and most of all you taught me to live.
I take those gifts now as the woman I am and will use them to become the woman I am destined to be because of you, and in my heart of hearts I can only hope that someday my own grandchild will sit in my lap and with the light of love shining in her eyes, naively pat my wrinkled cheek and smother me with wet kisses and tell me:“I love you Granny”
I love you Always. Thank you for helping me to become the woman I am today
That was just beautiful. *sniff*
What a beautiful letter. And how true it rings. I hope your feeling better!!
Unrelated…
HI! I am totally updating my blogroll today, so Finally! I will be around regularly!
Wow – that was just beautiful. It must have meant the world to her.
That is beautiful Rachel!!! What a testament to your grandmother.
*tear*
Oh… so so so sweet.
How sweet is that?
You are so sweet.
🙂
Beautiful, honey. 🙂
That was a wonderful letter…I wish more people honored their grandparents in this fashion…I am trying to convince my teen girls of that now….
That was breathtaking! I have no other words!
You are truly an amazing woman! Thanks be to Granny! To all the Grannys out there!
Hugs….
that was a beautiful letter!! i feel so grateful that i was able to know my grandparents, as well as i did!!
you are a wonderful writer, y’know!!
So sweet! What a beautiful expression of your feelings about someone you obviously adore!
You apparently were a very thoughtful teenager. I’m sure your grandmother really appreciated and loved that letter.
That’s something she’ll treasure forever.
Lovely letter, one we should all send and hopefully receive.
That was beautiful…!
Wonderful letter…*tear*
Oh for crying out loud (literally)! Why’d you have to post that when I’m hormonal?
I totally felt the same way about my grandmother, and I am lucky to have been able to share it with her too. She’s who Sun is named after.
You gave me goosebumps.
Ugh. This could not have come at a more timely time. (?) My sweet grandma is almost 93 and I never see her (far far away) and every day I think about her – wishing I could see her and love on her. Thank you for writing this – I am going to do the same for my sweetie.
daang girl…you really know how to say it! now can i copy this and give it to my Granny 😉 love you
Oh wow Rachel. This was truly, truly beautiful. Your Grandma sounds like one awesome, amazing person.
That is so beautiful!
I’m sure your Granny treasures it.
Rach, you have such a way with words. I’m going to sit down and write my Grandmother (always Grandmother,this one) a letter. Thanks for the reminder!
That was truly beautiful. Thank you for sharing it. 🙂
I can’t believe you wrote that at 19. How incredibly insightful. I didn’t reach that sort of understanding about my grandma until my mid 20’s.
Awww. That was darling, Rachel.
That was really, realy beautiful.
I am tearing up. That is beautiful. It makes me think I need to write or call my grandmother.
I think many of us think this way but very few can express it the way you did.
What a beauiful letter! And a treasure for your grandmother, I’m sure!
Come see me – I have something for you over at my blog!
That is so sweet, Rachel. You have such a kind heart! Your granny must have been so thrilled!
That is incredibly sweet!
That was so beautiful. Especially the part about the “life’s beauty marks,” *sigh*.