Family of Mine
Photo Credit: National Gallery of Art
“Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind in the present moment.” ~ Buddha
I’m still reeling and rollercoasting, emotions colliding, as snippets and snapshots of memories rise to the surface of my mind and fill my heart, of the two weeks I spent with family in Victoria earlier this month. Was it really just two weeks ago? My heart is calling me to write a Grandma Story that captures the multitude of precious pinch-me-moments I experienced during my family reunion. I hope, dear reader, that this little piece of fiction, inspired by real events, connects you to your memories, of special times spent with the people you love. I hope it reminds you to live in the present moment, and to remember, that anything is possible.
“Why didn’t someone wake me up?” Grandma bellowed as she traipsed down the stairs, still rubbing her eyes. “I asked you to wake me up as soon as they got here!”
“We only just got here,” Mom said.
“I was just about to,” Uncle insisted.
“Oh, I’m only teasing,” Grandma laughed. “But you know how much I hate to miss a minute of family time.”
I’d only spent a few moments with my Grandma since her and Grandpa arrived a few days before, but one thing that was clear to me already was how much she adores each and every one of us—including me.
Grandma’s tired eyes transformed from squinty and tired-looking to bright lights of joy. She had a slight skip in her step as came over to join the rest of us, all gathered around the kitchen table. Grandma smiled at me and winked, then picked up her phone off the table and pressed her finger to the screen.
“My goodness, look at the time. I’d better get a move on it. Does everyone know what kind of pizza they want?” Grandma asked as she scrolled through her phone, muttering out loud but under her breath about how she’d thought she’d saved the website of a local pizza place with over a thousand 4.9 reviews.
I’ve already figured out that my Grandma is clever enough about some things, like feelings and organizing, but not technology. Even old-school, out-of-date technology can bring her to tears of frustration.
When she finally found the site she was looking for, she passed her out-of-date phone around so everyone could place their order. Uncle ended up taking over when Grandma forgot how to use Uber Eats to have it delivered.
“It’s going to be almost an hour,” Uncle said. “Should we play a game while we’re waiting?”
Everybody answered yes. Another thing I’ve learned, is that Grandma, like everyone else in my family, is crazy about games.
Uncle already had a really cool looking new game set up on the dining room table. We all took our seats while Uncle explained all the rules. It sounded super complicated, but totally fun.
The best part was that Mom and me got to be the spy masters. Uncle told us which team everyone was on, and when he said Grandma was on the same team as me, she smiled one of her big smiles that almost makes her eyes disappear behind her glasses.
She kept trying to give me hints, even though I didn’t need them, and you aren’t really supposed to. Mom kept breaking the rules and giving extra clues too (I guess she gets that from Grandma) and everyone teased her, even Grandpa, who is the quietest of everybody, including me.
Mom and Grandma laughed so loud and hard, and Grandma said her cheeks hurt. Then the doorbell rang and it was the pizza delivery guy, and my little cousin woke up from his nap, and it was all kinda crazy for a while.
“I must say, I am disappointed in this pizza,” Grandma grumbled, holding her slice in the air for emphasis. “It’s not even close to a 4.9. The reviews said the toppings were so generous, but look, there’s barely any. Plus I ordered extra cheese, yet this one has even less than usual.”
“Maybe that’s because it’s gluten free?” I said.
“Mine is gluten free too,” Uncle said. “It’s because you didn’t heat it up Mom. Cold pizza isn’t very good anytime, but cold gluten free pizza is the worst.”
“Yeah, you’re right, I should have listened to you when you said that place was too far away,” Grandma said with a sigh. “Oh well, what to do? Should we finish our game?”
I had so much fun playing that game. I think everybody did. It was a really good game, and super close too. Our team only lost by one point, and I was proud of myself for keeping up, still just a kid and everyone else grown-up.
Grandma insisted we just had to go in the hot tub because she’d promised. Mom pretended to object, because it was getting late, but you could tell by the sparkle in her eyes that she wanted to stay longer too, and after all, it was summer holidays, and a special time; all of us together under one roof for the first time in years.
The Airbnb was in a really cool location, on a mountain near a lake, surrounded by forest. Grandpa turned on the twinkly lights that looped around the roof of the pergola, making the atmosphere even more inviting. The hot tub was tucked in a corner and as soon as I dipped my toe in I discovered it was nice and warm.
We had fun imitating how my baby cousin likes to splash like a dolphin when he’s in the tub. When Grandma talks about him, her voice changes. I can hear how much she adores him, and I think maybe she adores me too.
I taught everyone how to play the “I’m going camping and I brought a…” game. The stars twinkled in the almost-night sky. I was concentrating hard, trying to come up with a super clever, super difficult word, when all of a sudden out of the corner of my eye I saw some movement in the tall, wild grass just beyond the bars of the black wrought-iron fence.
“Look everybody!” I said, in my softest voice. “There’s a family of birds!”
Everybody turned and craned their heads to look in the direction I was pointing. There were two larger birds and a bunch of little chicks, no bigger than the size of a plum, all a pale brown with little white spots on their feathers.
“Why, it looks like a family of pheasants!” Grandma exclaimed, a little too loudly, because the birds, or pheasants as Grandma called them, all started to waddle off into the grass. I counted as quickly as I could.
“There are at least ten babies, maybe more!” I said, feeling excited, deep down in my belly.
“What a precious gift!” Grandma said, her hand on her heart. “I wonder what totem spirit energy they have? It can’t be a coincidence that a whole big family of pheasants came along while we’re all here for a family reunion.”
My heart tightened.
“Grandma, how come I haven’t seen you for so long?” I asked, scared of the answer, but unable to resist. I felt like I had to know, needed to know. Because I could feel that she loves me and I could see how much she loves and adores all her family, especially my baby cousin, who she’s nuts about, and none of it seemed to make any sense.
Everyone went quiet.
A few minutes ticked by, and I thought I might die, waiting.
“Darling child,” Grandma began. She stopped to wipe a tear from her eye. Uncle found a Kleenex and passed it to her so she could blow her nose. “My dearest child,” she began again. “I don’t have an answer to explain it properly to you, in the way you deserve. It’s all so complicated, so woven through and through with pain and grief.”
She paused for a moment, took a deep breath, and continued.
“I don’t want to spoil the magic of our time together—it’s too short as it is. But I won’t lie to you, ever. I wonder, can you maybe wait just a little longer, for the right time and the right place for that conversation? I wonder, can you be okay, trying to accept that the past is the past and can’t be undone? That right now, in this present-moment, all is well. That I love you with all my heart. Can you do that?”
I had tears in my eyes by this time too, but I pretended they were just drops of water from the hot tub and splashed my face some more, just to be extra convincing. I wasn’t sure how I felt. I wasn’t sure if I could do what she was asking. Accept that the past is the past. But then, I looked in her eyes, and she stared back into mine, and I realized, all of a sudden, that I didn’t need to know all the stories or hear all the words because I could feel the truth. I could see the truth in her eyes. And so I said okay and packed my questions away.
“It’s past your bedtime, little man,” Mom called from the back door.
I did feel a little bit sleepy, but I didn’t want to go home. Not yet.
I got out of the tub and dried off and got back into my clothes. I joined my mom, who was sitting on the big lumpy couch with my Aunt, by the fireplace. Everyone told stories. Mom bragged about how I wrote a song all by myself, and how my dad helped me record it.
“Oh my, can we hear it?” Grandma asked.
She looked so excited, so I said yes, and Mom shared it with them, and everyone listened with expressions of awe and I felt proud. I looked over at Grandma and saw she was crying, but I could tell they were tears of joy, not sorrow, and I smiled, and felt warm inside.
A bit later, I caught Grandma in a huge yawn, rubbing her sore arm. She tried to laugh it off and pretend she was fine when Uncle asked her if she was okay. Mom looked at her watch.
“Oh my goodness, it’s past ten o’clock!” Mom exclaimed. “C’mon then my boy, it’s time for us to go.
It was hard to go, but then I remembered, we were going to see everybody again in just a few days. I gave them all hugs goodbye—so long, for now, until next time, family of mine.
COMING UP…
Books & Projects:
· In December 2025 I signed a contract with Austin Macauley Publishers for my manuscript, The Trials of Alex Anderson, a character-driven novel that explores the relationship between mental illness and trauma. I am now on the road to publication, with an expected release date near the end of 2026. In February I worked with designers on the cover and its near completion. Last week I received the proofread manuscript for my review. Things are happening! I’ll be posting regular updates here on my blog and on social media, so stay tuned for exciting new developments.
· The Rogue Scorpion is available online at Amazon, Chapters-Indigo, and Barnes & Noble. You can also find it at select Chapters-Indigo and El Hombre de la Mancha bookstores.
Reviews & Interviews:
· You can read, listen, or watch a large selection of reviews and interviews on my website.
Events:
· There are no events currently scheduled in my calendar.
YouTube Channel:
· Watch The Rogue Scorpion trailer.