My grandmother lives in an old brick house. It is the house that my grandfather grew up in; she got his family’s house when they got divorced many decades ago (go, Grandma!).
The old house is home to the occasional bats, ladybugs, and birds that live inside the walls. She finds these pests to be a pain, but to me, they are a comfort.
There is a nest of birds that annually inhabits the wall next to my bedroom at my grandmother’s house. I hear them tweeting on early spring mornings and rustling around on chilly nights.
She complains that the aged house is falling apart and says that because of its location next to the woods, it is the perfect landing spot for so many critters. I joke with her and say that everyone, even the birds, just wants to live beside her.
Her house is full of love and life. She is like a fairytale princess—a real-life animal whisperer!
Some people think of the women in their lives who look after them as their fairy godmothers, but my grandma was once a young girl, too, and she had to look after herself. I think a princess is someone who can stand on their own, without any fairy godmother or prince charming to save them.
And I was lucky enough to have grown up with this princess. My siblings and I are all uniquely close to our grandparents and have spent a lot of time with them throughout the years. I was raised by my mom, dad, grandma, and grandpa.
Fortunately, my grandma is still an indispensable part of my life. I see her at least once a week, most of the time, and it still doesn’t feel like enough.
When I am not able to see her in person for longer periods of time, nature has other ways of reminding me that she is all around me.
Whenever I hear a bird’s morning song from my dorm room or see a bat pass overhead, I smile as I am reminded of her.
I think of her calm yet frantic nature. She freaks out every time I get behind the wheel of a car. But she once hit a deer on her way to pick me up from school, damaged her car, had to borrow someone else’s, still came to get me, and never said a word about it until a day later.
She is cool in a crisis but is passionate about keeping the ones she loves safe. This is one of her many traits that I hope to find in myself.
She is kind but indulges in a little gossip here and there. She puts others’ needs before her own but stands her ground when she needs to. She is clumsy yet gentle. She is crafty and humble. She is generous and funny and beautiful.
Womanhood can look like so many different things. I learn something new about what it means to be a woman from every woman I meet, but I never go against my nature. I always end up looking to my favorite fairytale princess: my grandma.