Friday, June 14, 2024
Wanda Keller, my grandmother, died today. Or, well, yesterday, June 13th, 2024.
Mama wasn’t the person who was the loudest at the table. Like me, she preferred a quiet night with a book most of the time. She was kind-hearted, cared deeply, and was just plain funny when she got a quip in. She was never afraid of indulging me in my goofy phases when many other people would have thought me ridiculous. If René Descartes is correct and “the reading of all good books is like a conversation with the finest minds of past centuries,” the finest minds must have been equally goofy or I would have driven her crazy.
I can’t remember a time when Mama didn’t have a book she was reading when I walked into her house. That book would usually be accompanied by 3 to 4 others that my mom dutifully replaced weekly (if not more frequently). Her love for reading was a testament to her lifelong curiosity and thirst for knowledge, a passion she passed down to my mom, my brother, and me.
Growing up, my mom and Mama read to my brother and me as often as we could get them to. When I could later read myself, I spent a lot of time alone reading. It provided me comfort and joy, a world to escape to, and I spent many hours lost in books. In retirement, she would volunteer on the days I had ‘library’ day in elementary school. Her presence in the library, surrounded by books, not wanting to embarrass me too much, perfectly reflects her generous spirit, and commitment to fostering a love of learning in others.
While I dropped the habit for a bit, I’m glad to say I am back in full swing. I initially set my goal to read 30 books this year, raised it to 52, and today, June 14th, made it an even 60. I’m currently at 30. Yes, it is a lot of time, and yes, some of them are short. But every book I read feels like a tribute to her and the love of reading she instilled in me. I truly believe reading to be magical, and my passion for it has improved my life tremendously. After all, “The only thing you absolutely have to know is the location of the library.” – Albert Einstein.
Mama, your legacy lives on in the pages of every book I read and in the hearts of all who were lucky enough to know you. You will be deeply missed, but your love for knowledge and your generous spirit will continue to inspire us all.
