When my granddaughters turned 13 we would do something special together. As is so often the case, it was meant to be a treat for them, but I thoroughly enjoyed each experience.
It was granddaughter number three, Tiffany’s turn. We were about to embark on our big adventure, a weekend together in Sydney. Her calm exterior masked the anticipation that was in her heart, but it sparkled in her eyes. As we climbed aboard the bus she looked up at me and said, “Don’t worry. I’ll look after you Nanna.” We checked in to our hotel and Tiffany took charge with the card, putting it into the slot for the lift, and then using it to open the door to our room, once again affirming, “I’ll look after you Nanna.”
Our room was small, and a bit smelly and gloomy, but it didn’t matter as we weren’t going to be there much. Breakfast was an adventure as there was so much to choose from. She chose baked beans. Three plates full. This could prove interesting!
Each day we walked, we looked, we touched and we tasted. It was fun. And she held my hand as she trudged along beside me, not yet at the stage when to do this would seem childish.
The butterfly enclosure was a unique experience, with hundreds of beautifully colored butterflies of all shapes and sizes fluttering around our heads and settling here and there at will, like delicately designed decorations resting on the branches of the trees and bushes. We wandered around the enclosure, along with the crowds, admiring their beauty and diversity.
Then there was a moment, just a moment, I remember. All around us children and adults were trying very hard to get the butterflies to land on them, without much success. But as Tiffany stood quietly waiting, three settled softly on her outstretched arm, almost as if they knew they could trust her. She could hardly contain her excitement and looked back at me over her shoulder with a look that said, “They chose me Nanna!”
It was one of those special moments, not of great earth-shattering importance or life-changing consequence, but one of those gentle memories that I have stored away and look back on with a smile.
One Response
Beautifully written. Succinct, yet evocative, and the last phrase was definitely the “punchline” and caused me to smile too. – Barrie