Soaring Eagle Woman

Last night, our twenty-year-old granddaughter came for supper carrying a gift of love. “While I waited for my lunch at the food truck today,” she said, “I wandered over to an artist’s display. I saw this painting, Grandma. It’s your colours.”

My heart filled in the spaces. “In the middle of your work day, you saw something beautiful and thought of me.”

My home is NOT minimalist. On every wall and shelf are symbols of love. Paintings by my aunt, by friends and by grandchildren festoon every vertical surface in my sight line. Furniture pieces that graced our parents’ homes carry tales of our childhood. I remember staring through the curved glass of our antique china cabinet, at my Grandma’s special teapot. My fingers still tingle from being allowed to hold it.

George is a three foot posable giraffe, a creation of rainbow-coloured beads,  a gift that travelled from South Africa in a suitcase. While I was visiting my son and his family there, they had seen me loving the giraffes on safari, appreciating the beadwork of African artists. Today, George has a new story. Since he was old enough to reach out with his little fingers, our great-grandson Riley has loved George. His large, hard and stiff body is not particularly huggable. Now, at the age of two, Riley goes first to George, grabs him by the neck and drags him around the living room.

I could never succumb to the minimalist message. My home is filled with stuff, stuff with stories, stuff that carries messages of love and caring. We don’t go on spending sprees for things. We too, want to care for our environment. But we also treasure the stuff of memories and hope that some of it will be recycled, and  treasured  for generations to come.

Last night, my granddaughter looked down at “George, the giraffe,” and said,  “George is surviving Riley.”  I thought, he has a few battle scars. He’s a little faded from the sun. Now, thanks to Riley, he has two tales of love to tell.

Today, Tom and I will decide which wall needs the beauty of Ellie’s gift. Every time we look at it, we will smile and hear the message, “Our grown up granddaughter, in the midst of her busy day, saw this beautiful painting, Soaring Eagle Woman by Sherry (she didn’t give her last name) and thought of Grandma with love. Thank you God.