My grandmother died last week.  I flew back to Texas for the memorial over the weekend with Lill.

The week that she was dying she lost the ability to talk, which must have been the hardest thing to happen to her in her entire life.  Though she chose nursing over acting, she had always maintained the idea that she would someday get to Broadway and take the world by storm — even asking me at my cousin’s wedding after my grandfather passed away if any of my friends could get her an audition.  I was unable to.

Nearly two weeks ago, I got a call from my mother.  She told me all of the grandchildren but me were given the opportunity to speak with Gram over the phone and that, even though she could not talk, she was able to hear.  I spoke for the last time with her that night and afterwards fell sobbing into Lill’s arms.  That was the hardest moment of my adult life.