Our Gracious Host

On January 9, 2010, before 6 a.m., Dan and I bid adieu to Williams Bay, Wisconsin. The car was crammed with our earthly possessions, absolutely jam packed. The car was so full, germs had to sign up on a waiting list to get in. I had lampshades on my lamp, food at my feet, toiletries filling the empty space between my right thigh and the car door, and Dan and I both rested our elbows on the pillow that was between us. I slept as to forget how uncomfortable I was.

Anyways, we made it to Pennsylvania without incident, and after spending one night with Dan's parents, we began the arduous process of moving in. No apartment for us, not a farmhouse surrounded by cornfields: this time we are bunking with Dan's Gram, qualifying us in many ways as people hit by the recession. (There's a commercial about what people are doing to cut back: living with my parents, eating less meat, becoming a one car family. Check, check, check!) But really, we're absolutely blessed to be living with Gram, besides the obvious economical benefits.

Gram is gracious, funny, and growing older. She benefits from a little help in the kitchen and the company that we provide. She often wears a gray-purple hat, much to the family's annoyance, always offers to bring ice cream to family functions, and likes her fair share of salt on, well, everything. One day I witnessed her butter her wheat-thins; it must be a generational thing to butter one's crackers.

I'm also teaching Gram how to use the computer. We've gotten her an email account and she is beginning to get the gist of how to reply to emails. The computer is still a great mystery to her, but I'm impressed that she has the gumption to try. Today she received an e-card, much to her delight, that she chuckled at the entire time it played.

I am learning that growing old, elegantly, is a lofty goal. It takes style, a relaxed attitude, and a good bit of humor. My own grandmothers display a good bit of pizazz, and getting to know Dan's gram is another example of how aging can be beautiful. Spending time with Gram sometimes makes me roll my eyes, and other times smile so hard that my cheeks are sore. My favorite part? That she will ask Dan, when he is giving her grief, "Do you like where you're sleeping?"

And to that, I laugh and say, "Oh, Gram."