when i was in kindergarten my mom and i were in walmart one day and i ran up to who i thought was my grandmother and started telling her all about my day. i rambled on and on. finally i yelled "love you grandma!" and ran off to look at the toys across the aisle. after we left the store my mom told me that wasnt my grandmother, it was my kindergarten teacher. (!!!) they looked so similar. i was mortified when i had to go to school the next day. i couldnt look my teacher in the face for a week.

this past february my mom, my aunt and i drove my grandfather down to florida to see his sister. he's 82 and she is 85. they hadnt seen each other in over 30 years. i hadnt spent much time with my grandfather in the past ten years since he moved farther away. the image i had in my head was from a ten year old child's point of view. he was grandpa. quiet and a little gruff but i knew that he was strong and would always be there to make things better.
when we got to my great-aunt's house they were talking and she was asking him about the family and about his late wife. my grandmother died before i was born. he never remarried or found anyone else. it was evident all through my childhood how much he loved her. when my great-aunt asked about how she died my grandfather made up some vague story about how she suddenly got sick. he said the doctors didnt know what it was and after she was in the hospital for a few days she died.
my mom, my aunt and i all looked at each other confused but didnt say anything.
my grandmother died of lung cancer. there was nothing sudden about it. she was in and out of the hospital for months.
it suddenly became clear why the entire 20 hour drive there my grandfather had been repeating the same stories. he couldnt remember anything else. or even the fact that he had already told us.

she was the love of his life and his memories of her are fading.

the first weekend i came home from college my bedroom depressed me so much. everything that had been familiar and comforting as i grew up now felt strange after a few weeks away. there were empty spots on the walls where i had taken some of my pictures and posters to college and some of my furniture was at my dorm . even my bed wasnt familiar anymore. i felt like a guest in my own room.

we met when i started working at the department store in town. he was the guy i went to with all my questions, and he teased me endlessly. he invited me to a party at his house one weekend. late into the night, after everyone else had passed out we stayed up talking. as the sun started to come up he kissed me. as much as i wanted to i couldnt kiss back. i was dating someone else. he appologized and said he understood, then asked why i stayed with someone who everyone knew treated me horribly. i couldnt explain that i didnt know how to get out of it.
the next day i dumped the boyfriend and asked him out.
we spent everyday together after that.
after about eight months we decided to move in together.
five months after that he asked me to marry him.
three months later he told me he didnt love me anymore.