November 13, 2010

Postmarked October 27, 2010

Which was two days after she died.

I should be more precise.

Six days after she had a stroke that devastated her brain to the point that she had no measurable neurological responses to pain, light in her eyes, a voice at her ear. Four days since I left my home in upstate New York, three days after I arrived in Indiana. (It took one taxi, two buses, two planes, and 17 total hours).

Two days after we took my 93 year-old grandmother off of life support, a post office in Miami postmarked a birthday card she'd forgotten to send me. Someone--her renter? my uncle?--had dropped it in the mail.

Two days after I watched her body stop, her cursive hand moved through time and space to reach me.

It reads: "Happy birthday. I can't tell you this in person. But I will be with you all day."

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

So touchingly remembered. Thank you. She will indeed be with you... For much longer than your birthday.

Anonymous said...

Meanwhile I was reading it, I felt I was traveling in tax, buses and planes along with you. all of this , in a 45 seconds of reading.
So vividly words from you.
Jayme andres