Image source from Pixajay
Grandma once bought a beautiful multicolored bowl. She'd like to call it her sugar bowl. Every school holiday dad and momma would leave us at grandma's house and go for a short spouse getaway for a week. I loved staying at grandma's, those were my most memorable childhood days.
Grandma's sugar bowl always intrigued me. Everytime I stayed at her place the bowl would be in a different shade of color. Grandma assured me that it's the same bowl she's been using.
Grandma would put in different types of sweets and chocolates, sometimes even miniature toys and what she'd call her 'blessing cookies', pretty much the same idea of a fortune cookie as she would put in a simple note inside with words of comfort and encouragement. I remember some days when I was struggling as a young teen, I'd often find myself digging into those blessing cookies and the words written on the note felt like hugs to my soul. I still have them with me after all these years.
It's been many years since grandma's passing, and just months before that she did something special. It was Christmas Eve and we made it in time as a family to celebrate with grandma that year. It was 2005. The blizzard was bad. We got to grandma's home only to be welcomed with a warm fireplace and beautiful dining setting with lots of food. Grandma was a great cook.
As usual, after dinner I'd go to the sugar bowl and grab a candy or two, you know, to sweeten the palate after a heavy meal. There was my favorite blessing cookie, only one. It was unusually bigger in size, topped with lots of chocolate chip and raisins, just the way I like it. I took a bite and my front teeth hit something hard. There was a note and a plastic wrap.
"Dear Joel, Merry Christmas my boy. Here's my present for you. Remember that I'll always be with you near or far, and you'll always find a home in grandma's heart. I love you, my sunshine boy. Hugs, Grandma."
I opened the plastic wrap to find a key. I recognised that key. It was the key to the front door. I excused myself and went to the washroom and sobbed quietly. I knew what it meant. She was giving me the house.
Years passed. I'd come home whenever I need a breather, and everytime I do I make sure I remember to fill the sugar bowl with sweets and chocolates. It's my way of keeping grandma's memories fresh and alive. A way to keep her close to my heart.
Note: Added extra 5 minutes for the freewrite.
art and flair courtesy of @PegasusPhysics
