I pressed play and she is alive again. Her voice flooded my senses and I was back in that moment.
“You turned the shoes again backwards,” my Grandma scolded two year old Rose as they sat side by side. My Grandma was still bundled in the hat and scarf she had crocheted herself.
It was January, 2020.
“That’s this foot. Look. Look at Grandma,” she coached as she removed one shoe and placed it on the right side. “That’s a gal,” she praised, her Italian accent thick, as Rose got her shoe on the proper foot.
Then, her gaze lifts and she’s looking at the camera, realizing she’s being recorded.
“You make a picture of Rose?” she asked. “No be funny Adi. Don’t do stupid things,” turning her scolds to our middle daughter. I laugh, grateful for “stupid Adi” and the phase she went through, stealing my phone and snapping pictures and recording videos.
I watch the video again, soaking it up and remembering at the same time. We were getting ready to go to the kids’ penny fair at their school. We had invited my Grandma to tag along. I remember being aware of the Corona Virus. I had hand sanitizer in my bag and I made the kids use it between activities…activities that included blowing balls with straws, exchanging pennies and prizes, hugging friends.
This was before…
Where There's Joy 
I love that you have this video memory!
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Damn – that’s one well written slice. The ending — wow and wow. Love that the video brings your right back to that moment, Hearing the voice again, I am sure, made your heart skip a beat. Then, watching the video back with all the wonderful phrases and ways she had with your girls, with you. What a gift.
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Thanks for sharing this lovely rememberance. It brings tears to my eyes. “It was before” made this reader think how my parents and grandparents passed before the time of iPhones which easily capture videos. Lately I’ve been looking through old family albums filled with black and white photos and imagining what these ancenstors would be saying. SO glad you and your kids can see the colors and hear the voice of Grandma. I agree – what a gift. Thanks for sharing.
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This memory is so vivid. That last line, so powerful. It makes me want to see what comes next.
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Beautiful. That was before. But it’s also now, in a way. You and Adi have both made it a little more permanent and present. I love that writing and pictures can capture. Even if it’s mostly in our mind or heart, it’s still there. I wrote another piece, and haven’t posted it yet, about how everyone is grieving in some way during this pandemic.
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Ah, I remember before! Ruth, thereisnosuchthingasagodforsakentown.blogspot.com
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What a vivid slice. Not only do you paint a picture but you infuse it with emotion. And then, the way the Coronavirus sneaks into the memory… and the last line. Just perfect. Also, sending you an extra hug. I know you miss her.
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I know it doesn’t bring her back to you, but it brings your grandmother back to life and that matters. I’m so glad you have precious videos, like this one, to help you hold your grandmother close.
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When I was cleaning out my mom’s house, she had saved a phone message from my brother. I remember thinking at the time, she just wanted to hear his voice whenever she wanted. That little video is a pocket smile for you.
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