David Vance SubstackRead More
My Grandmother Sarah Jane Vance was born in 1906 and died in 1996. She was easily the biggest influence on my younger life and as I grow older I still valued her common sense. She didn’t get overly excited about politics and was just a very practical person.
I got married in 1987 and she wasn’t physically able to come to the wedding service and so after it, en route to the reception. I made sure the limo stopped off at hers and my wife and I came in to see her.
I also moved to England in 1987 and then meant not seeing her. Up until that point, I made sure to visit her every Sunday.
Today, I was going through some old files and a hand written letter fell out. It was addressed to my English address and it was from her. I had filed it but forgotten about it. It was dated early 1988. I managed to read a few lines but had to stop. It was just too much. I saw the words on the page, knowing that she had sat down to write them to me, and it was very emotional for me. Her loss in 1996 is still the one I feel most keenly. I think I may have said previously that a few days after her funeral, l was out working in the garage on my own and I had a sudden sense of her presence, telling me not to worry. Did she somehow make contact from beyond the grave or was it just my distressed imagination?
She lies buried in a country churchyard. I attend the grave but I know she is not there, that she has gone to be with God. I hope I meet her again when I die.
Isn’t life strange?
