Remembering Grandmother Elsa

Do you ever find yourself suddenly thinking of someone out of the clear blue that you once loved dearly who passed away long ago? I have and often wonder when that happens if it’s because the spirit of that person was visiting me at that precise moment.

During my meditation this morning, I found myself experiencing that very thing with my father’s mother. Her name was Elsa, and she was an awesome grandmother to me. After I remembered a few fond memories of her as I sat there and continued to meditate, I decided to dedicate the next blog I wrote, meaning this one, to her.

Grandmother Elsa was from Glen Cove, Long Island in New York and I used to see her several times every year. She was a very prim and proper woman, elegant in her own way, and what I admired most about her was how smart she was. We used to carry on conversations about so many things, especially current events and the latest news. In fact, she used to get the Newsday newspaper and it generally made for plenty of morning conversations between us.

Speaking of morning conversations, most of those came during my summer visits to her. I used to stay at her home for a week or two and most of my fondest memories are from those times. Every morning during them she had a fresh batch of homemade popovers baking in the oven, usually ready for me to delve into with a huge slab of butter once I came downstairs. And to adorn that breakfast meal each day was some Quaker Oats oatmeal made on the stove with raisins and brown sugar, of which I still eat to this very day on many a cold days.

How we occupied the rest of each of our days together was always different. Some of the things we did included swimming in the Long Island Sound or at Jones Beach, going into New York City for a meal or a show or to visit her sister while being driven there be a driver, seeing a movie at the theater, doing some shopping at the mall, playing tons of games of Ping-Pong on her table in the basement, playing various card games while staring out into her pristine backyard, hanging out at summer barbecues with local relatives and going to plenty of restaurants (one of which I remember clearly because of their cheesecake and that was Steve’s Pier One in Bayville), and really just taking a lot of time talking about life to be totally honest. I really that last one the most because Grandmother Elsa frequently made me feel like I was a grown-up.

Beyond my summer visits, there was one other regular time I knew I’d get to see her every year and that was at Thanksgiving. Our Thanksgiving meal was always held at her home and I truly enjoyed spending that holiday there. I can still recollect watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade with her, playing more games of Ping-Pong than I can count, and taking walks around her neighborhood during those holiday trips. And as for the meal itself, well if I were to close my eyes right now, I can still picture myself sitting there at her old but rather ornate wooden dining room table feeding my face out of all her collective milk glass dishes.

As I sit here and write all this about my Grandmother Elsa, I can safely say she was one of my best friends for much of my earlier years in life, especially during all those grammar school days when I was mostly friendless. I’m not sure if I ever had any dull moments with her, which is why I truly hope I get to see her again one day.

So whether she was with me or not during my meditation this morning doesn’t really matter. What matters is the joy I felt within when I thought of her. I think the image I will always have with her is the same I had during that meditation and that was of me sitting at her kitchen table like we always used to do, talking about life and current events, while eating her delicious popovers and enjoying a bowl of hot oatmeal.

I love you Grandmother Elsa. I really do miss you…

Peace, love, light, and joy,

Andrew