A Little Love and Tenderness......

“It was odd, (Tessa thought), what brought out tenderness in people.” 
― Cassandra Clare, Clockwork Angel

She sat there in her protective shell like exterior---softness all underneath that she only allows just a few to catch a glimmer of from time to time

and

she told me

a tale

her tale

of 

captured tenderness

and

I welled up

choked up

sat there all caught up in the wonder of our connected lives

and

now 

I smile---at the depth of us humans who sometimes

somehow 

channel our love

our gentleness

our tenderness if you will

into 

tiny little slivers of God's love.....

Her grandmother

old and tired

and

all ready for both her birthday--around 90

and 

her return day--her return to love----

....

She found herself 

the victim of a stroke

but 

yet

all wrapped up in that body that would not work any more

was a woman of strength

and 

stubbornness.

Granddaughter tells me of her grandmothers birthday...

about how she wasn't allowed to have that 

Pepsi

but she insisted that she could swallow

and

about a nurse

who found out 

her grandmother loved cantaloupe began the preparations for the

last supper of sorts

 they stood in the sacredness of time

one last time

all bound up in their love for each other

and while

I never met the grandmother

I have a vision that the 

young woman I starred out 

was the new embodiment of her namesake

around hospital bed

among iv and the pink fluffy blankent

stood two women

ages apart

but

love bound through time

stood

for a sacred meal of sort

a communion of the Holy Kind

the fizz of a cold Pepsi over ice

and

the smell

of fruit drifting in the air

The priest of sort--priestess---nurse as I see her

went to the 

lunchbox 

and

shared 

from her bowl

slivers of orange cool crispness

and

in a prayerful manner

smushed up the sacredness of fruit of the earth

swirled it around, mixed it in a pray-like way---birthday treat for her last birthday ever---

I imagine the Tupperware and fork----sacred vessels ---

hands mixing and crushing

and

see the gentleness of a young nurse

a priestess of healing and giver of

the sacraments---

intimate moment shared

granddaughter rubbing on arms and staring into eyes

and

lifting up a fizzing communion of Pepsi

while

the 

tender nurse moves over

no words said

only 

love drifting around the bed

around the two women-

separated by generations

but 

held together by name and love and heart

.....

Love

moved through the air

and

in the moment

of 

silent 

communion

.....

Tender mercy and kindness 

and

love of all kinds

swirled

around 

the

bed of a dying woman about to enter freedom once again

.....

sacred ceremony

last supper

communion with and for saints

all

in a

tiny little sliver of

time

....

Love

that knows

no 

beginning

and 

no end

only

hearts

that 

are connected forever

......

Thankful for the sharing of the story

for the tenderness of a priestess nurse

and

for the 

wonder of a granddaughter

with great memories

of one last sacred communion.

May the Mystery

wrap around 

my friend

and

bless 

the little 

nurse 

who 

cared enough

to 

be the bearer of sacred smushed up orange fruit 

served with

a 

heart filled with 

tenderness

.............

thankful 

for 

being the receiver of this story

and

for being given permission

to share

May your grandmothers

strength

and

stubbornness

live on in you.

and 

may all of us

dare 

to 

live

out

moments of tenderness

as they come

blessings...

the radical rambler.....