Beautiful Mix

On By Piano girl

This afternoon the sun was shining! It has rained steadily for the last four days. My mood instantly changed as soon as I walked outside after school.

On my drive home, I decided to listen to one of the “created for you” playlists on iTunes. No surprise, the very first song was by James Taylor-Angels of Fenway. As you might guess, it is a song about baseball, life, family, never giving up. The melody is happy, the music energetic.  

How is it then that two simple phrases from this song instantly caused me to choke back tears? Again, the song is about baseball! Yet, here I was, driving down the highway, about to cry.

What were those phrases?

Grandma watched from her hospital bed.

It doesn’t feel like a long time ago.

Now, I don’t recall ever discussing baseball with my Grandma Mahar. But I did spend a lot of time with her growing up. She and my Grandpa lived next door.  

Grandma did not have much formal education. She took care of her parents. She also married young and raised nine children. But Grandma loved to read! It seemed like she could discuss anything. Her set of Encyclopedia Britannica was the Google of my childhood. And the bookshelves in her laundry room were always full.

Today, when I heard that first line, an image popped into my head. 

It was my Grandma sitting up in her own hospital bed. She had suffered a stroke. But on this occasion, her bed had been rolled out into a waiting area. And she was surrounded by her kids, grandkids, and great-grandkids.

It’s funny how some details are forgotten. I’m not exactly sure what occasion we were celebrating. But I know we were celebrating Grandma. ❤

The second line gave me a different thought. So many years have passed. Oh, how I would love to have one more visit. So many questions I would ask. So many things I would write down.  

My heart is grateful for the memories of my Grandma. And thankful for the beautiful mix of words and music that brought them to the forefront of my mind today while driving home in the warm sunshine.

11 thoughts on “Beautiful Mix”

  3. Such wonderful memories! I also wish that I had written down stories my grandmother told me, although I remember some of them. I learned from that loss and years later did record my parents telling some of their stories, which included many things about my grandparents:)

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  4. I (almost) always enjoy reading reminiscences like these, and I certainly enjoyed yours. Sometimes I wish I had such memories to treasure and share but, sadly, I have almost none.
    We could hardly call ourselves “family.” I can hardly remember any of my grandparents and, though I loved my mother dearly, my father was also in the “distant” category.

    So: I’m glad that you (and others) are out there, memorializing away, giving me something to be envious of. And you did so beautifully here. Thanks.

    Have a great day, sister.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Thank you, Ron. And thank you for your honesty. While I am thankful for my family, I know it’s not everyone’s experience. You reminded me not to take it for granted. 😌

      Have a great day, friend.

      Like

      Reply

Leave a comment