Memories of Grandma

Jacob Sutton 708                                                       

Memories of Grandma

Though my grandma died on a beautiful, radiant, sunny day in May four years ago, my heart was heavy with the sadness of her death.  My mother received a call in the middle of the night from my grandma’s caretaker.  Her death came as silently as the darkness of the night.  On one hand, we were relieved that she no longer had to feel any more discomfort as she had become very frail in her last months.  Even though my family had planned ahead and prepared for her funeral, I was unprepared for the stream of sadness that flowed through me.

Some of my memories of Grandma Goldie have faded, but others are still as clear as that day in May.  As my mother tells it, I was grandma’s shining star, and her greatest joy was spending time with me.  Grandma loved to teach me elaborate card and pencil games and we would spend endless hour playing and laughing about nothing in particular.  I would watch, as she held the pencil with the bottom half covered, as she curled one hand over the other, her blood-red, oval-shaped nails peeking out as she tried to secretly write a number to challenge me in our match.  Grandma always said, “I play to win”, and the seriousness in which she played, enticed me for I was just a young boy at the time. 

On the day of her funeral, we all took turns sharing our thoughts of her and were able to celebrate the joyous moments and the light and laughter that we remembered her by, even through our darkness.  My memory is foggy and I cannot remember what anyone spoke about, but when the rabbi asked if anyone else wanted to share their thoughts, I  walked to the podium without reservation and said,  “I remember that my grandma always said, ‘I love you, I love you, I love you’”.  In my mind, grandma’s love for me was unconditional, pure as an innocent baby.  I carry my memories of grandma in my bag of thoughts and she is always there with me.

Micheal Vey:Rise of the Elgen

Michael Vey: Rise of the Elgen

by Richard Paul Evans

          Unlike other books that I've read about protagonists who do not fit in, Michael Vey: Rise of the Elgen is a compelling science fiction novel.  In this book, the main character, Michael Vey, is a fifteen year old boy with Tourette's Syndrome which causes him to have ticks, but his ticks spark his special electrical powers.  He, along with several others form the Electroclan.  They go on an actionpacked adventure of intrigue and torture to save Michael's mother who is being held captive in Peru by the  Elgen, a dangerous electrical group led by Dr. Hatch.

        Though on the surface, this novel appears to be about Michael's electrical powers and the adventures that drive him to save his clan and his mother, it is much more than that.  On a deeper level, this book is about Michael's inner power and his love, loyalty, faith and courage for his friends and family.  For example, at the end of the book, Michael is faced with the dilemma of certain death or to sell out his friends and values to save himself.  Michael puts himself on the line and protects his friends.  At this critical point he says, "Hatch wants me.  If he follows me, everyone else can get out."  For Michael, his greatest power is not his electricity, but his courage and heart.  The reason he succeeds is because he loves and cares for those around him.  He is able to overcome and earn the respect of his friends despite his differences.