A Beautiful Friendship

In 2010 when I met Holly, little did I know what a blessing she would be in my life.  That year, our granddaughter Adelia was born and our co-grandmothering began.  We have shared many really fun, magical moments, mainly due to Holly’s enthusiastic spirit, her generosity and her kind, loving nature.  She has become a dear friend, comforting and brilliant.  I have very deep family roots in Dublin, New Hampshire and it amazes me that we never met or even ran into each other in the Dublin summers until my son Wes married her daughter Antonia in the fall of 2009.  The following summer, Adelia was born and since then, we have enjoyed our time together as grandmothers and good friends.

Here is a list of some of our shared times together:

Going to the Nutcracker ballet in Boston with Adelia and Greg, Holly’s dear husband.

Christmas dinners in Dublin eating delicious Persian food on beautiful dishes from Iran.

A rainy day in the country attending an outdoor performance of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory with Adelia.  There was a big tent for shelter and food, but we also had to wade through wet grass and lots of mud!

Adelia’s July birthday parties in the beautiful barn on the Dublin property.

Sharing many of Adelia’s dance recitals, Toni’s dance performances in Brattleboro, Vermont, and Wes’ Hug the Dog (his band) “gigs”.

Taking a film class taught by Holly at Keene State College in Keene, New Hampshire.  The theme of the films was women and children in Iran.  It was well attended and Holly was a very engaging professor.  I really loved watching these films and learned a great deal about the Iranian culture, past and present.

Meeting Maziar Bahari at a viewing of the movie Rosewater at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.

Taking belly dancing classes with Holly in the barn in Dublin one summer.  I don’t believe anyone else could have convinced me to belly dance.  Naturally, it was lots of fun!

I am most grateful, though, that Holly is a very supportive mother-in-law.  She gives us all permission to love beauty in all its forms.  What a gift!  She is like a bright meteor soaring through a starlit night on her way to a glory land.

Thank you for sharing your journey with me and my family Holly.  I love you.