My grandmother Martha was one of six girls raised almost solely by my great grandmother Martha “Dee Dee” in the 1920’s and ’30’s. I’m fortunate to have ‘long livers’ on both sides of my family, even though Gram was taken too soon as an active and vibrant seventy-two year old. Cancer. Dee Dee passed in April of 1996, from natural causes, washed her face and went to sleep I was told- still sharp as a tack. Gram followed four short months later. I was devastated because, as close as we were (like mother and daughter), I was not made aware of the fact that her breast cancer had returned and metastasized. Here they are back in the day. Aren’t they a gorgeous gaggle?
L-R Top Row: Virginia, Dana, Dee Dee (their mother), Katherine, Dee Dee’s mother!, Bottom Row: Martha (my Gram), Rosalie, Norma
Gram loved hummingbirds. At the time of her death, she had one made of brass with crystals displayed in her living room window, attached by a suction cup. When she passed away, it was one of the things I kept. Hummingbirds have since become a sign from her and not typically the live ones.
Twelve years ago, I wrote about how that brass hummingbird turned out to the be the sign I needed when deciding on the purchase of my first home in 1998. It was crystal clear – a hummingbird moment.
A few weeks ago my Aunt Rosalie passed away, leaving the only remaining sister, my Aunt Dana. While I haven’t kept in the best touch with my great aunties, I love them dearly and have some of the best memories of them from childhood. After sending my Aunt Dana a sympathy card, I received a card from her a few days ago. A little shiver ran through me when I opened the card.
She was writing to tell me she appreciated my card and how much she missed her sister. They were very close.
“No more sisters to talk to. No reminiscing about the ‘old days.'”
So of course I had to write back and tell her all about the hummingbird and the bittersweet significance of the words she wrote behind its shiny wings. I reassured her they are together now and still with her. She just needs to look for the signs.
Thanks for stopping by.
xo Jen
J. J. Cannon 
