‘When you were young you were afraid of ghosts, and when you were aged you called them to you’ – Alice Hoffman.

This Alice Hoffman quote reminded me of both of my grandmothers. They were strong and independent women. Matriarchs who I looked up to and still do. Towards the end of their lives, everything became more simple. Their family and the stories of the past were the centers of their universe. Our joy brought them joy, and reminiscing would always make them laugh. At the end of their lives, I felt like we were letting them go to be with their memories and stories. They called out to the ghosts in their stories, and then they followed them.

This quote is from Alice Hoffman’s novel “The World That We Knew”