I just got a call from my grandma today, which is pretty unusual. Like so many grandmas you hear about, mine is a nut. Despite her age and frailty, she's always been feisty and spirited. Case in point: when I asked "How are you?" she replied "Well, I'm still alive! That's more than some people can say at 85 years old!"
While my grandma stereotypically has curly white hair, three cats, and lace doilies on the end tables, she also keeps us on our toes. I'll never forget that on her 75th birthday we had a tea party with fancy hats and the whole nine yards - classic old lady style. But on the way home she literally hollered at my aunt to pull the car over at a tattoo shop, marched her tiny 4'11" self inside, and got herself a birthday tattoo! My mom, sister, aunts, cousins and I were DYING. This is the last lady on earth you'd expect to get a tattoo! She chose a dragonfly, because it was relatively little but still distinct. The tattoo artist told her the least painful places to get it would be either her breast or her booty, and she famously said "If I'm going to get a tattoo I darn sure want to be able to see the thing! Help me out of this bra!"
Grandma lives out-of-state, and the reason for her call today is that she wanted my help figuring out what florist would deliver to my parents' new address. She always sends my mom spring flowers, and this year will be no different. I told her I'd cut out the middleman and buy some from the nursery near my house. That made her happy. She also wanted to know which would look better in their new house - a red, pink, or yellow tulips? "But Holly, don't get one of those ugly multi-color arrangements! Those aren't right." This little old lady has opinions, that's for sure.
We were wrapping up our conversation when Grandma said, "I don't hear so good anymore. I've heard most of what you said, but I missed a little here and there. Why don't we start texting? I'm good at texting." And I'm sitting here now, hours later, chuckling to myself about that, thinking how very many things have been unexpected and weird the past few years. May we be the kinds of grandmas and grandpas that make our kids smile, shake their heads, and think growing old might be alright after all.
Wishing you a beautiful spring with your families!
I'll see you out there -
Holly
