today, my beautiful grandmother turns 100!
i am oceans away but send her all of my love. she has always been a beacon of light in my life. her kind heart and generous spirit took care of me when i was little and would get ill but my mom needed to go to work. when i was older, spending the night at her apartment was what i looked forward to most. i would arrive and be greeted with the scents of all my favorite foods. one time, i asked her, "ma, what do you do to make your food taste so good?" "oh, i just stir in a little love," she would answer. we would have long talks about life over hot cups of tea. we would find something funny on the tv and both break into marathon fits of laughter that would bring us both to tears. she was a welcomed presence at every major moment in my life. and was the shoulder i collapsed on after hearing the news of the loss of my father - and registering what that meant. she was a lighthouse that helped me find my way back through the dark forest of grief. she listened during the times i had no words but couldn't yet go home. she walked the rim of the grand canyon with me answering my string of questions about her youth and her life. she welcomed my pirates with the grandest of smiles the day she met them.
she is loved dearly by many and cared for selflessly by my sweet aunt. while i carry her in my heart daily, today she holds such a special place. i am so grateful for your presence in my life, i am sending you all my love, ma!!
happiest of birthdays to you xoxoxo
