Lovewalk and Heartwhispers

My name is Andrea, I’m 45 years old, and I’ve learned to face even the greatest challenges in life. But today… today I feel empty. I sit in the silence of our living room while the tree lights dance across shiny ornaments. In my hands, I hold an old photo album, as if it carried the weight of all my memories. Opening it feels like stepping into the past... into a world where my grandmother was still here.

Grandma. That word evokes a sense of safety and love unlike anything I’ve found elsewhere. She wasn’t just my grandmother. She was my light in the darkness. When my parents divorced, and I, a little girl, desperately searched for a firm anchor, she was there. Her warm smile, gentle voice, and arms that knew how to hold me to chase away all my fears. She was my compass, my harbour, my home.

Now, during the holidays, I miss her more than ever. I miss her as I decorate the tree, as I place gifts beneath its branches. I miss the scent of cinnamon and honey that filled her kitchen. I miss her laughter, which could disperse any cloud. Everything reminds me of her. And even as I repeat her wise words to myself: “When you think of me, don’t grieve. When you talk about me, don’t cry. Rejoice in the memories of the time we shared because my life was rich... because of you,”... it still hurts.

That evening, weary from the weight of memories, I fell asleep at the table. And then it happened. Suddenly, I found myself in a strange place. In front of me stood a bridge, veiled in soft mist. On the other side, I saw grandma. My grandma. She looked exactly as I remembered her from childhood. With a smile that said everything would be alright.

“Grandma?” I whispered, as if afraid to shatter the fragile moment.

She smiled and stretched her arms toward me. Without hesitation, I stepped onto the bridge. My heart pounded like a bell, but my feet carried me forward, as if they knew this meeting was a gift I couldn’t refuse. When I reached her, she embraced me. That hug felt so real, so warm. The warmth of her arms, the scent of her skin... It was as if I had come home.

“I miss you,” I said, tears in my eyes. “Every day. I would give anything to have you back.”

Grandma smiled her quiet, soft smile. “My dear one, I never left. I’m always with you. In everything you do. When you smile, when you cook favorite dishes, when you find the strength to keep going. Everything I taught you lives in you. And by passing it on, I am always here.”

“Why don’t you show yourself to me? Why don’t you tell me you’re okay?” I asked.

“Love connects us, but you must feel us, not see us. We send you signs, people, moments that remind you we’re with you. Your journey should be about joy, not sorrow. About life, not the past.”

In that moment, I understood. Grandma sends me people who are meant to teach me something, who help me bear the burdens of life, and who love me as deeply as she loved me. These people are her gift, a legacy of love that stretches like a bridge across generations. When someone makes my heart smile or brings me peace, I know it’s Grandma speaking to me through them.

“I wish I could meet you again,” I admitted.

Grandma stroked my cheek. “Love is a bridge, my dear one. And when you carry it in your heart, we are close. With every step you take.”

As the mist began to lift again, I knew I had to leave. “And what happens then?” I asked. “When my time comes?”

Grandma smiled. “Then you will cross this bridge again. And I’ll be here waiting, just like this. We will never say goodbye again.”

I woke up with tears in my eyes and my hands on the album. But in my heart, I felt peace I hadn’t known in years. Since that evening, I know Grandma never left me. Nor have the others who’ve passed. They are in the scent of cakes, in the laughter of children, in the whisper of the wind. They are everywhere, if we are willing to feel them.

“Don’t come to my grave to cry,” she seemed to whisper. “I am not there. I am a thousand breezes, I am the sparkle of snowflakes, I am in everything beautiful around you.”

And so, this holiday season, I no longer cry. Every gift under the tree carries her message. Every smile is proof of her love. And I know that when my time comes, I will cross that bridge again. But until then, I will live so that her legacy shines in every part of my life. Because love is a bridge that will never divide us.