One For Gram
This post is a long time coming, but as I sit here on this rainy evening, I got to thinking about it again and decided to put it up.
As I was leaving for the Clarion River Outing, I received word that my Grandma was taken to the hospital with stomach troubles. She'd had them before, and having just turned 87, there was cause for some concern, but nothing to prevent The Duke and I from heading North.
The CRO was a very pleasant event, and The Duke and I thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. We parted company that evening, and returned to camp with plans to hit the river early Sunday morning before heading home. At 1:30 that morning, the silence of the night was pierced by the ringing of my cell phone. My mother called with news that Gram was having emergency surgery, and that it quite simply "didn't look good." The Duke and I were packed and headed home shortly before 2AM.
Gram made it through the surgery, but the stress to her body was more from which she could recover. She passed quietly after a week-long bedside vigil. As I sat in my chair the day after we laid her to rest, I decided that I needed to find some peace, and clear my mind. I returned to the river to finish what I had started.
It was late afternoon by the time I arrived. The air was starting to cool and a slight hint of the pending evening settled in around me. I made quick work of readying myself and waded in. Within the first five minutes, my yellow rabbit zonker jerked below the water with a convincing thud. Soon after, I had brought this handsome fellow to hand.
After a quick pic and prompt release, I found myself giving a wink to the sky saying, "Thanks Gram; one for you." I moved downstream slightly and was treated with one more fish. He really put it to me, lunging and darting for faster, deeper water. It took a few moments to get him to hand, but eventually, he was smiling for the camera as well.
As I set the rainbow free, I gave another nod to the sky and worked my way downstream and finally back to my vehicle for a quiet ride home. Decades of memories flowed through my mind and I often matched tears with smiles and the occasional laugh. Gram was important to me, and though I made the lengthy road trip alone with my thoughts and memories, I wasn't exactly "alone."
Here's to you, Gram. Thanks for everything!
post edited by mohawksyd - 2011/10/13 22:01:17