For Ruth.

I remember sitting on cut grass by the railroad ties hedging her narrow, well-tended strawberry patch in the backyard, staining fingertips sweet crimson in the long afternoons, chatting endlessly about everything and nothing.  I remember the green shadow cast over her forehead by a plastic visor always propped in her white hair, and faded blue gloves worn smooth by spring and summer gardening. 

I remember lilacs towering in the corners of the lawn; careening wagons down the steep slope of a golf cart trail; homemade ice-cream on neighborhood birthdays; sparklers and lemonade in the driveway on the Fourth of July.  I remember that she always carved a path to the mailbox through drifted snow, before we could make our way down with the snowblower; the way her retro aluminum Christmas tree filled the living room windows, moving in steady procession between green and blue and pink and red; hot chocolate and banana bread and plates of wrapped cookies frosted just so.  I remember lithe hands, sure movement, sharp wit.  And quilts.  I remember so many quilts!

But most of all, I remember her laugh: quick and easy and full of the same unswerving delight that met every new morning behind wide glasses and a cup of coffee, black.

She was so many things to so many people, this spry old woman who, in retrospect, I now realize I knew very little about, but counted close as family all the same.  She was Ruth Anna Rosina Koehn, but to us, growing up and ever after, she was simply Grandma Ruth -- two houses down, door always open.

I hope she knew just how important she was to the little imps up the street who invented excuses to visit her.  How the memories of all those years stay with me, vivid and colorful and full of that knowing laughter.

I just wish I could have said goodbye.

Comments

[Trisha]

You've said so much with such few words. You brought back a few memories of such a wonderful woman for me too.

[mom]

When we feel that we are suffering a great loss, it's because we've been so blessed by having her in our lives...we shall always remember the loving soul she was and take with us what she taught us about LIFE...