NOTE: THIS IS A STORY I WROTE ... it seems so real a lot of people must have felt this story. Yes, it is similar to my Life ... but, it's just a story.
This story came to mind this morning ... I wrote it ... I wouldn't want to be this grandmother I wrote about. I write about pain, grief ... this is just another one of my stories written about such.
Some people have the knack to be real grandmothers ... can be real grandmothers. Read this story of
a grandmother who wished ... to be with her Heart.
Artwork by Gloria Faye Brown Bates ...
A short story written by Gloria Faye Brown Bates ...
Story/Photos owned by Gloria Faye Brown Bates
One day out of the blue a grandmother in name only went to her computer to sit down, write. She loved to write as much as she liked to draw, paint, make jewelry. When she wrote her words were happy colors to her as her paints were.
She went online and saw there was a message waiting for her. She sat in awe ... it was from someone she hadn't seen since a little blonde, blue-eyed girl. A little girl who could charm the birds out of a tree with her charismatic personality.
The father of the little girl and the little girl's mother divorced. They had a messy dispute over custody and the father gained custody, also. In name only ... the mother discouraged her child to not visit.
The mother fought it tooth and nail. She was a fierce, loving mother who loved her child. That's why the grandmother loved her, knew she'd never worry about the child's welfare.
Years went by, the grandmother's son died from heart failure. He left a little boy, and the little girl behind.
The mothers of the two children didn't want any of the father's family in their children's life. The grandmother respected that ... she went on about living her life. She was grandmother in name only.
Until ... for a short-lived time when the message appeared on the grandmother's computer. It was her granddaughter! Oh my! she thought ... my granddaughter came looking for ... me! She felt honored ... felt very happy.
She couldn't wait to tell her husband who had messaged her. She ran to wake him up, told him. He smiled. He loved the little girl very much. They had bonded when she was little.
The grandmother made plans with the granddaughter to meet ... to bring her other grandmother with her. They would meet at a restaurant, spend time together.
They did just that. It was a happy meeting. There was only one little red flag to that point. The grandmother ignored it ... this was her long-lost granddaughter who had just come of age ... chose to come look for her. Her wish came true. She'd see her child's daughter ... someone who carried her own blood in her body. She was blood-related.
The grandmother had lost most all her family to the craziest things ... they all should have been here today. Life is full of twists, turns ... strange, unexpected. The grandmother should have known this special time in her life wasn't any exception. She blinded herself knowing better. Why that was her granddaughter!
They met and the grandmother carried a special bag to give to her granddaughter. It was filled to the brim with all kinds of rings, bracelets, jewelry she had spent hours making with her hands. She wanted her granddaughter to have something so special.
The grandmother and her husband spent a happy time seeing the granddaughter and even her other grandmother. They loved both of them. They couldn't wait to see them again.
They met once more and the granddaughter brought her boyfriend, and grandmother that time.
Some red flags popped up ... the grandmother ignored them. One being she had respected the granddaughter's mother's wishes not to come into the granddaughter's life. Why? she didn't know. It didn't matter, the grandmother respected, understood the granddaughter's mother had her reasons.
While in conversation the granddaughter made mention she hadn't told her mother she had gotten in touch with the grandmother. The grandmother felt disbelief that meeting her granddaughter ... was a secret.
The other grandmother looked at her granddaughter (she was the mother of the granddaughter's mother) ... and made a comment about she hadn't told her mother. The conversation went on to something else.
The grandmother sat there thinking that if she had known she wouldn't have met her granddaughter ... she loved, respected her mother. She was old enough to know that when something is so special ... you never have secrets to ruin it. It took something away ... the red flag loomed.
The granddaughter told the grandmother and her husband that they were coming to their house for Christmas. Oh. how she and her other grandmother insisted on this grandmother and her husband coming Christmas Day to their home.
The grandmother was hesitant ... she and her husband lived a very private, quiet life. They never went to visit anyone rarely. It was quite a decision to make ... to go to someone's home ... to share a holiday with.
They had spent Thanksgiving with people whom they were friends with, loved and cared about them. It wasn't easy to step out of the house to go to someone's home for a holiday ... but, the grandmother did. No one knew what a big step that was. Now ... her granddaughter and other grandmother were telling them they were going to spend Christmas Day with them.
So, the grandmother agreed. They would go there for Christmas Day. Christmas Day was just a week or so away.
The grandmother became very stressed during the time waiting. She had made her life private and it was hard to step out of her comfort zone. Years ago she had been a people-person ... now she only saw them when out and about.
Christmas Eve came ... no mention of what time to be there ... no exciting plans were made ... or we'll be happy to see you ... came. Instead ... each time the grandmother went to her computer to check for a message ... it sat there cold, unblinking at her. No happy message.
She felt herself get very ill ... a big knot formed in the pit of her stomach. She went to her husband and told him. They didn't understand why no message to say time, or it had been cancelled or ... anything.
The next day ... Christmas Day ... the grandmother went to her computer fully expecting for sure ... her wonderful granddaughter would have sent a message during the night.
No message ... the knot in her stomach grew bigger. She felt as if she was going to cry. Why didn't her granddaughter or the other grandmother send a message? Did she and her husband miss what time and such ... during the last time spent together?
Were they supposed to just drive there? No, the grandmother and husband didn't just drive to anyone's home like that. They didn't feel comfortable doing such a thing.
Another red flag loomed with the ones already waving in the air like the flags at the beach ... wildly from the wind off the ocean. Something wasn't right ...
The grandmother felt embarrassed to message her granddaughter and the other grandmother. If she didn't ... and they were supposed to be there ... they would have thought badly of them.
She messaged an hour before time for Christmas Dinner at noon. The six words her granddaughter messaged back to her ... loomed up at her off the screen ... forever burned into her mind ... forever hurting her heart so much her hands flew up to her chest.
The other grandmother wrote that she'd been sick and this was a sad Christmas sort of ... and on and on about they hadn't done anything for Christmas, hadn't been thinking too straight and for us to have a Merry Christmas.
The grandmother sat stunned. They had been the ones insisting they come to their home for Christmas ... even talking them into saying yes. No one had gotten in touch to say differently.
The grandmother's husband had baked banana-nut bread to carry, and several desserts. She felt embarrassed to tell her husband that the granddaughter ... her granddaughter ... had done this. She felt embarrassed that they had even told anyone her ... granddaughter ... wanted ... her to spend Christmas Day with her.
Then ... the pain set in ... her heart began to hurt ... tears flowed down her face. She sat quietly thinking ... why would they have done such a cruel thing? What would make people do such?
She began making excuses in her mind for her precious granddaughter and why? she did such a thing to her. Was it something her mother had said to her ... and she wanted to pay this grandmother back. Was her mother who maybe said she wouldn't come to the other grandmother's home ... if this grandmother and her husband were there?
The grandmother sat ... another thought came into her mind. She was studying each time they'd met, talked. Several things stood out to her. Her last pair of rose-colored glasses fell off her face. She had to face this pain ... and she would ... could do it honestly.
She took a mental stance in her mind ... feet planted firmly on the floor. She began to wonder about something she told her granddaughter the last time she saw her ... and that might be what made her granddaughter lose interest in her.
She told her granddaughter that she was herself ... no more, no less. What she saw was her ... no pretense of having anything, no pretense of being ... somebody. She told her that the books she wrote didn't sell ... and she didn't have any money. They lived on a limited income and had it financially hard.
This is the last time the grandmother saw her granddaughter ... the granddaughter who may have thought this grandmother was rich. Understandable when being young. Everyone wants somebody who has a lot of material wealth.
The granddaughter whose mother may have discouraged the Christmas Day plans.
The granddaughter who didn't respect her grandmother enough to send a message to say Christmas Day plans had been cancelled.
The granddaughter who sent her six little words the grandmother would carry to her grave ... because no words after them are needed.
The words were: "I forgot all about Christmas today.
Author's Note:
This little story could be true or not true. Either way it's a sad story that came to my mind this morning. Suppose ... something like that happened to you? To me? How would we feel?
I know I would feel devastated ... knowing those 6 little words destroyed any hopes of knowing a grandchild any farther ... and each Christmas Day thereafter that grandmother will always remember her and her other grandmother ... the pain, grief they gave when they could have only told her the truth ... or if it were me ... I would have told the grandmother something that might have been a lie but, a good lie.
Saying nothing speaks louder than words ... saying those words that granddaughter said to her grandmother ... said it all. She ended any hopes of a relationship with the grandmother ... or being left anything from that grandmother at her death.
If I were that grandmother ... I would be 'grandmother-shy' ... no more grandchildren in her life. If I were her ... I would never be a grandmother anymore. I would focus only on the people who were, have been good to me in life ... if possible, leave all to them ... if I were her.
My life has taught me that labels on a box doesn't make a product good ... it's the quality of the product on the inside. A pretty box with a name-brand label isn't always best.
People are the same way with their labels of father, cousin, brother, grandma, granddaughter, aunt ... just because they are that ... doesn't mean anything when there isn't mutual love, respect, caring.
Blood isn't everything it's cracked up to be ... just my Gloria Opinion.
My blood-line holds everything ... treachery, plotting, revengeful, dishonest people on both sides of my family. There are only a few I didn't see it in. I know exactly what to look for ... if I were a bad person ... I would know how to be and ugly person.
Thank God for the Heart I have. I'm glad to be a good person ... one would doesn't hurt unless I'm pushed. I can sleep at night knowing I didn't go out of my way to cause pain to anyone.
Why in the world do I care? Because I know pain only too well ... I know it intimately since being aware I was a little girl ... being aware of life.
Wow ... I keep thinking of the six little words that granddaughter told her grandmother after insisting on her coming for Christmas Day. I keep thinking of the pain her grandmother felt ... all the happiness dashed out like a candle in the wind.
I hope that grandmother is as strong as I am ... I'm like the big Redwood Tree ... I would still be standing ... the rain drops glistening on my limbs ... standing proud, strong. That's how I would be.
Redwood Trees stand forever ... unless looked at closely they would never see all the scars Life inflicts on them.
Gloria Faye Brown Bates
(As of 12-26-2018 I quit putting aka Granny Gee or aka GG on my stories. I'm not a grandmother ... only one in name only ... to anyone else. To me ... I am just ME).
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