REMEMBERING DAYS WITH GRANDMA | JERMAINE NELSON

REMEMBERING DAYS WITH GRANDMA

JERMAINE NELSON

Grandma loves her grandchildren no matter how old they are The love has grown on her grandchildren When visiting Grandma, she has hot coffee and sweet pumpkin pie ready to eat Talking about her day while she weaves a Navajo basket

Together we watch the sheep eat the sagebrush as she sings a traditional song

Her love strengthens us when our self-confidence lowers

Her wisdom guides us to living a full filling life Her knowledge encourages her grandchildren to be excited about life

Grandma tells us she misses us every second, minute, and hour of the day As her tears run down her wrinkled face, we tell each other “I love you” Wiping the tears away, I give a big warm hug letting her know I’ll always be there As the sun hits at its highest, we walk home for lunch wanting tortillas with peanut butter During lunch, Grandma teaches us our Navajo lan- guage along with traditional songs Her cooking is unmatched by any other family member

Her smile brings happiness to a room Her laugh will make you smile Her love is unconditional

The sun begins to set, the sheep are bedded in the corral, the chores are finished It is time for the grandchildren to head back home to finish their education

As we say our goodbyes Grandma’s tears are setting in, with an unsteady voice she says, “I love you all so much, I’ll always be here” From the oldest grandchild, I say “I love you too grandma. Please don’t cry, I’ll see you in a couple of days”