Because I Love You

Lois Spotts, Tina, Grandma Rose, circa 1995 She was with me, Grandma Rose, my mother-in-law. She seemed sad. She was wearing her signature house dress with rope belt. Rose stood over me quietly pondering something, watching and observing like she did from time to time, studying us, her children, grandchildren, and daughters-in-law like me.   Rose always had a big heart. Although the words she spoke weren’t exactly “I love you,” they were laced with love, that is, they usually asked a lot of questions or told you what to do.   “Do you pack Roger’s bag when he travels?”   “What kind of food are you cooking for supper?”   “You’re gonna roll my hair for me tonight.”   “What’cha doing in the kitchen?”   “No, you can’t have the key to the freezer.”   “Don’t cut that cake until Sunday.” Many times, she would send us things we didn’t ask for but she knew we needed them before we did. “Now I bought this little sweater for Cannaday, I got it for $2.00, see. I wa...