I've only seen my Grandmother’s pearls a couple times
and both times, they were draped around my Mother’s neck.
She was a beautiful lady, the prettiest I think I’ve ever seen.

She woke me up one morning and her eyes were red, her face a blotchy red,
I’d never seen her like this before.

She told me that that something had happened and that my Grandmother
was with the Angels now--watching over us.

I tried to be strong for her, but I couldn't help myself,
I started to cry.
My Mother help me until I stopped.

On Sunday, we went to her funeral and I saw my Mother wearing my Grandmother’s pearls.
It was a beautiful service, and by the end we were all crying.

Later my Mother told me that her Mother had given her the pearls as a gift
when she found out my mom was pregnant with me.
As my Mother told me this she took off the pearls and gently clasped them around my neck.
She said that my Grandmother would have wanted me to have them,
to remember her by.

Later that week my mother took me to see my Grandmother’s grave.
We stayed there for a few minutes and told her that we love and miss her
and that we wish she was still with us.
As we walked away I could just make out the name on her headstone
through the bars of the cemetery.