Stranger

by Amber Cannon

Around Thanksgiving

Since my birth

I have received a birthday card

From my maternal grandparents

Accompanied by a phone call

“You got your card right, now you spend

That money on something just for yourself”

They’ve never missed a year

Even following my grandfather’s passing

The signature in the card went from

Grandma and grandpap

To just grandma

But she maintained their schedule

With worsening shaky illegible signatures

Until November 2020- No card

A reminder had her send a belated one

November 2021- No card

And since then- No card

Its not that my grandma mistakenly forgotten

Or the lack of caring

She and they loved spoiling their grand daughters

Dementia has taken my grandma away

Moments of clarity are few

She doesn’t remember my birthday

Because she doesn’t remember that I was born

I am a stranger to her

And who sends happy birthday cards to a stranger