Last summer my kids and I were in the car with my mom. My mom always rides shotgun with the kids in the back. My son use to ask Grandma "Who Am I?" This game was actually an effective way for me to gauge her cognitive decline. Usually, she would remember his name. He would then point to his sister, "Grandma, Grandma, what's her name?" Often times my mom would falter at my daughter's name. She would usually smile sweetly and say "I don't remember." Then he would point at me and say "Grandma, who is that?" It was clear my mom was going to say something! My mom, my smart, funny mom knew who I was! She was going to answer him! She replied "That's the lady who drives me!"
I am reminded of the old Kung-Fu T.V. series on in the 70's. Where if I were young Caine I would ask "Master, why should we love those who forget us?" and the blind old Master would reply "Grasshopper, love is confined in memory, but translucent in deeds."
This painting is the third in my series of bugs. I love this grasshopper. I took artistic license to change his colors and I think he is quite dashing!
4 comments:
Once again girlfriend you amaze me with your prose. You really need to turn these stories about life with Rita into a book. I too love your grasshopper.
Your grasshopper is fabulous. I love the colors. It's your story though like all of your stories that gives me pause. It's a little like the time I let mom smell the grated lime peel thinking it would jog her memory and she would have an epiphany and say "why, it's a lime." Instead she snatched the peel and quickly put it in her mouth forcing her to spit it out saying "bleech, blah,...."
Maybe, the epiphany will not be hers but rather will come because of her and be ours. I have a fervent wish. I know that something has been lost, and I hope that something more will be found like your love and your translucent deeds. In the end, that's all that really matters.
Susan, both the writing and the drawings are so lovely and touching.
There is nothing like a grasshopper to remind us all of Spring. This is a hopping site--keep up the good work.
Your Good Friend!
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