Kid Logic: You are Old and Lonely

Second grade.
It was a time of magic, a time of wonder, a time of pen-pals.

My second grade class had three pen-pal projects: write another second grader somewhere in the country, write someone from a classroom outside of the country (mine was from Korea and basically consisted of us sending flattened origami), and write someone you know.

The first two were assigned to us. I was at a loss on the third. My teacher suggested that I write to someone that might appreciate a letter from me, maybe someone who is lonely... and that sometimes older people were lonely.

I chose the oldest and loneliest person I could think of.
My great-grandmother Baer was 86 and lived at home with a nurse.
Whenever my mom and I would visit her, it would seem like we were the only ones who ever stopped by. I would run around the house and look at the very old soap and make-up collection or sit very still while she looked me over and told me how pretty I was; like her when she was younger. She had been seduced by a movie producer in her 20s and was planning on going to Hollywood to become a movie star. Then she met my great-grandfather. At the time she told me this she must have weighed 85lbs, had peach fuzz all over her face, and a mustache.

Although I didn't have much to say to her and our contact waned over the next 10 years (she moved to Atlanta to be closer to her daughter), at her funeral when I was a senior in high school her live-in nurse came to me and told me how much the letters I wrote her meant. She gave them back to me... and I felt like a bastard.

Dear Great-Grandmother,
Our class is writing to pen pals. My teacher told me to choose someone who was lonely. You are the oldest person I know. You are lonely.
I got these glitter pens when school started. I like the purple one. I like Lisa Frank.
Summer is over. My cousin Kelly's birthday was last week. I went to a birthday party at her house. You have had a lot of birthdays.
OXOXOXO,
Love,
Elizabeth

Dear Great-Grandmother,
My other pen pal lives in California. She watches Dirty Dancing. I am not allowed to watch Dirty Dancing. I drew her a picture of horses and a mountain and a rainbow.
I practice piano every day. My recital is later. I can't think of anything else to say.
Love, Hugs, and Kisses,
Elizabeth

Dear Great-Grandma,
I can't read your writing. Thank you for the card. It smells like old people like your house.
We got a dog named Zeke. He is fast. I walk him after school.
XXOOXX,
Love,
Elizabeth

Dear Great-Grandmother,
It was Halloween last week. I was Cleopatra. My mom made my costume. My dad told me I looked beautiful. My sister was a princess. We got a lot of candy. My favorite is Snickers. My mom will only let us have one piece a day.
I don't like the candy at your house. You can have some of my candy.
XO.XO.XO.
Love,
Elizabeth