When my grandmother passed away. Gpa said her tongue got to thick and they couldn’t understand the last things she said. The last thing they did understand what she said was, “There’s Papa!”
When Gpa talked to grandmother’s sister, she said Papa was what they called their dad.
When Gpa passed away, his speech became incoherent. I don’t know if his tongue was thick but he was only saying his vowels.
I told him, “I love you.”
And he replied “I oo oo.”
So I knew he was telling me that he loved me.
Then he said something else. I had him repeat it a couple of times but, I had no idea what words the vowels were.
I will have to take comfort in the next to the last words these wonderful people said. And I do.
I will also use my words today a little more carefully than I have in the past. I want them all to matter.