it has been an exhausting week filled with familiar faces and tear-filled cheeks.

next week, a fresh new look on the new year. but for this morning, i thought i would put some more thoughts down about my grandmother.

she was an avid writer, and up until about a year ago, she wrote daily in her journal about her day’s events. from pay stubs, to doctors visits, to meals; it was all recorded. she had an entire room in her house dedicated to the lifelong journals she kept. they are my treasure. i’ll always be able to go back and read about her, not only the times we spent together, and the grandmother i knew, but i’ll also get to know the person i was never able to meet: the girl, the newlywed, the young mother, the person.

she always got on me to start my own journal, and while over the years i have dabbled here and there, writing down my day’s thoughts in a book never really stuck. but i do blog, and it is about my life from day to day. i emailed her once to show her shinyfork when i first started blogging, and while i have no idea what the exact entry was that she read, she called me back immediately after reading it and asked, “are you OK? do you need money?”

so maybe she never “got it,” but i hope this counts as journaling to her, at least a bit.

beyond keeping her journals, she also wrote beautiful poetry. if you talk to anyone in her family, and the subject of her poetry comes up, they will immediately begin to beam, and say (with a sweet, and soothing southern drawl), “you know, she won a thousand dollars for a poem once.”

no one can remember which one won the prize, but i’m certain she’s got it written down somewhere to tell us.

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i wish i could see you tonight by dhw (AKA patty)

_

i wish i could see you tonight,

just sit here and talk for a while…

about nothing important…

the weather, perhaps…

just wish i could see your sweet smile.

~

i wish i could tell you tonight,

little cares that cause teardrops to start;

you always could cheer me,

and make seem so little,

the sorrows that bowed down my heart.

~

i wish you could know tonight,

how much i miss seeing your face

and hearing your laughter…

and talking with you…

there’s no one can take your place!