The Sound of Silence

 I lay in bed last night thinking about my grandmother. We weren't all that close. Even though my Mom and I lived with my grandparents, I can't recall much about her when I was young even if I reach into the far corners of my memories. 

She was a small woman, quietly going about her chores. She and my grandpa had raised a batch of kids, all taught to work hard. When their eldest daughter did not marry, she continued living with her folks. She is the one who took care of me while my mom worked. She was the one who did most of the cooking and cleaning. She was the one who was my keeper and my companion. 

My Grandmother was the one who picked blackberries, gathered eggs and helped with the baking.    

After I married and was following my sailor husband all over the place, we'd come back home to visit. My main memories of my Grandmother are from that time period. She was small in stature to begin with but as age advanced, her shoulders stooped and she shrunk. I doubt if she was 5 feet. 

I'd go see her and there she'd be, sitting in a rocking chair by the window so she could watch the world go by. She never said much but she did seem glad to see us. Maybe she didn't talk because her hearing was gone. If you can't hear what people say to you, how do you respond? 

She lived to be 100. I was standing by her hospital bed when she passed. 

And, I was thinking about all of that last night and wondering how she affected my life, even in her distant ways. She taught me to notice small things, to appreciate what you had, to not get into other people's business and to enjoy being silent. 

I've had "The Sound of Silence" on my mind lately. I find myself humming it throughout the day. I don't even know most of the words to that song but I like the title. The Sound of Silence... what peace that brings! Thanks, Grandma.