—
My grandma Stefka passed away on December 27th 2022.
In her younger life, she was a woman who liked to be heard and to leave her mark on the world. She would have liked for me to share as much about her as I can.
Dear reader — thanks for tuning in. I hope you enjoy!
It’s 8:37 PM PST on Monday, December 26th. I’ve just gotten home from a long weekend of skiing at Kirkwood with friends.
My mom calls from Bulgaria. It is very early in the morning for her on the 27th. I already know what to expect as she sniffles.
“The hospital called me. Your grandma Петка passed away.”
The call is brief. Four minutes. She has to go to the hospital.
I walk over and tell my dad who’s in the other room. He closes his laptop. He comes over and hugs me, also briefly.
“Your mom’s тегло (burden) is over.”
I don’t know what to say. So I don’t say anything. That part is still true days later.
I tell a...