Granny and Goose

It was close to Christmas and that usually meant baking and cooking and family and friends. This year was a little different though. Joann was feeling sad about the upcoming holidays because it would be the first without her husband, Earl. She didn't really feel up to her usual spread of candies and sweets and lovely dishes. She was still having her family over and for Christmas and was still planning on being part of the cooking, but she had decided to not makes sweets this year. She just didn't have the heart. How would it be without Earl there, sticking his finger into batches, burning his tongue on fresh baked cookies because he just couldn't wait, and proclaiming how delicious everything was. It brought a tear to her eye to think of it and she just couldn't imagine doing it without him here.

A loud honk brought her to the present and she realized she had been halfway through feeding Reginald. "Sorry, Reggie. I got distracted again. Senior moment." She touched her forehead lightly and chuckled as Reginald honked again.

She finished getting his feed in the bowl and put it down for him. He didn't seem interested in the food, however. He merely honked at her again.

"Well. Eat, silly goose."

Honk.

"Hmm." She shook her head and wondered off into the living room. Reginald waddled along after her, following just a step behind.

"What is it, Reggie?" She was curious. Usually, this behavior meant Reginald was up to something silly. She got up and sure enough he waddled back out of the living room. Sighing, she followed him back into the kitchen, past the food bowl, and to the cabinets where all her candy making ingredients were.

Honk.

Now how did he know that she thought to herself. "No, Reggie." she said aloud. "I just can't." Reginald simply honked in response.

Joann sighed again. There was nothing for it. Reginald would continue to honk until he got what he wanted. Maybe this was for the best after all. She would be sad either way, right.

So, she maneuvered around Reginald, went to the cabinet, and began unpacking ingredients. Reginald settled himself in the middle of the kitchen floor and watched as Joann moved about the kitchen measuring this and stirring that. She tasted her own batches and even burnt her tongue on a cookie that had looked particularly good. She laughed as Reginald honked at her throughout the process. She didn’t have Earl with her, but silly Reginald was a good substitute. He kept her good company in the kitchen and kept her laughing and smiling.

It was later, as she watched her children and grandchildren eating and talking, enjoying one another’s company, while the great grandchildren chased Reginald around the living room, that Joann realized how happy she was to have made the candy and sweets. She was surrounded by her family and the love that they all shared, and it was beautiful. Her heart still ached for Earl, but she could feel him all around her, within the lives of her family. Her youngest great granddaughter, Emily, kept running up saying, “Granny, more sweets?” And she would oblige each request with another cookie or candy treat. It made her heart so full of happiness to watch Emily’s little pigtails bounce away, hands full of her homemade sweets.

As she got ready for bed that night, exhausted but happy with the day’s gathering, she couldn’t be more thankful towards the silly goose nestling into his bed at that moment. He was content with her it seemed, and she was so glad to have him for company every day.

“Thank you, Reggie. Thank you, so much!” she whispered softly.

Honk.