fictional being, but a real-life companion

Posted bymylittlehawkPosted inOtherTags:, , , , , , ,

My grandma used to tell the best stories. They were always full of angels, and fairies, and The Little Red Riding Hood definitely lived in the forest behind her house.

There was always a giant dog lurking there as well (when she didnโ€™t want us wandering outside or running out on the road because we were too little). Sometimes these dogs were big and scary, depending on what she was trying to teach us. Other times they were guides and guardians on a tough path.

She was never short on humor, either. Her wind-chime laughter still rings in my ears.

Iโ€™d love to hear about that dog that guided a girl from her village to the town where she went to sell vegetables to buy new school shoes. It was a whole-night walk to the town, and by dusk, when she reached it, the dog was gone.

Iโ€™d love to feel that warm blanket of her voice one more time. She had the perfect voice for storytelling.

I could really use that dog, too. I really need some guidance.

If I could magically pull a fictional animal out of a story, it would be that dog from my grandmaโ€™s stories, or Gwin from Inkheart. I loved that little marten. I even named my cat after him (until my cat disappeared).

A rustic stone house partially covered with green vines, featuring a window with wooden shutters and a balcony, surrounded by lush garden foliage.

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Published by mylittlehawk

A blog about books, thoughts and travel

59 thoughts on “fictional being, but a real-life companion”

  1. *Daily Juice*

    _Medicine is not only found in a bottle or tablet… Being happy is medicinal, being grateful is medicinal and forgiving others and yourself is also medicinal._

    _Sometimes, you have to eat your words, chew your ego, swallow your pride, and accept you’re wrong, it’s not weakness or giving up, it means you are growing up._

    _When a bird is alive, it eats ants, when it dies, ants eat it. One tree can be made into a million matchsticks, but only one matchstick is required to burn millions of trees. Circumstances can change at any time, don’t devalue or hurt someone because of their present situation. You may be powerful today, but time is more powerful than you are._

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      1. I miss my granma too. During college years as I get home, Id just leave my stuff at our house ans go to granma’s room and we will talk for hours. About the II WW, when she was born, about her love life ๐Ÿคฃ๐Ÿคฃ๐Ÿคฃ It was really fun.

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      6. O moj Boลพe! That’s so sweet of you! I’d love to return this kind gesture, but I don’t know how to respond. Hazel (is a dear friend, I can say, that I met here on wp), told me that in the Philippines, tagalog is spoken in the north, and bisaya in the south. I’d love to be able to respond to you in your language ๐Ÿค ลฝelim ti predivan dan!!

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      8. That’s lovely! ๐Ÿค
        I had to google, and I hope I’m saying it right, but either way, nalipay ko nga nakaila ko nimo, karon Bisaya na gyud! ๐Ÿ˜„๐Ÿค Amping kanunay, Ishvi!

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    1. I remember there only being one movie, and I’ve only seen a small part of it when I was very young, and then I found out about the books, and spend years looking for them, until I found them in a local library. Devoured them in days! Love that story! Whenever you get around to it, read them, and tell me if you don’t think Gwin is the best! ๐Ÿ˜‚

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  5. The dog that walked the girl all night to town and was gone by dusk โ€” your grandma knew exactly what she was doing with that ending. And the detail that the dogs got bigger and scarier depending on what she was teaching you says everything about how good she was at it. “Wind-chime laughter” is a lovely way to hold onto a voice. I’m sorry she isn’t there to tell it again.

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    1. She was a true master of disguising many messages in her enchanting and sweet stories. I have a wind chime on my window now, and every time the breeze plays with it, it’s like a passing greeting from her.
      I’m sorry about it, too, but what she taught me will stay with me forever, and I’ll always keep her with much love in my memories. Thank you ๐Ÿค

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  8. ‘Wind-chime laughter’ and ‘the warm blanket of her voice’โ€”what a poetic, heartfelt way to describe your grandmother’s storytelling! ๐Ÿค That story about the guardian dog walking with the girl all night is pure magic. What a precious gift of memories she left you with, Katarina!

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  9. Warm and lovely musings. I was raised for a few years by my great-grandmother (“Meme”), and am so thankful for that time. She knew how to convey her love somehow, blended with her spirituality. It was something imparted and could be carried forward because of that, even when she was gone. You’re creatively preserving your grandmother’s spirit.

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    1. Your great-grandmother must have meant a lot to you. Thank you for sharing this with me ๐Ÿค It’s a beautiful thing to be able to carry their memory with us like that.

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  10. yes, the stories of grandma’s are something my kids never had. I migrated to the UK 15 years ago and my parents don’t live anywhere near us for obvious reasons. that is a big sacrifice I did for my kids future but I wonder if I did any good to them by doing so.

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  11. That image of the dog vanishing at dusk after the long walk is haunting. It feels like a perfect metaphor for how much energy those stories consumed and gave back. I know the specific ache of missing a voice that used to make the world feel safe and navigable. The wind-chime laughter you describe sounds like a rare gift. Sometimes the body holds onto the tension of that loss, especially in the hips or lower back, as if bracing for a blow that never comes. Letting the shoulders drop and softening the jaw can sometimes help release that held breath. It is a small thing, but it helps the body remember it is safe to rest. Your grandmaโ€™s stories clearly left a deep mark.

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    1. Thank you, Dan! And you’re right about the tension in the jaw and shoulders over something like that. Although my grief is overpowered by love, I still hold a lot of anxiety and pain in my body, like a weight on the shoulders, so this is a good reminder. Thank you!

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  12. You’re grandma sounds like my aunt. She’s fond of storytelling for us before when we’re little, that’s why i sleep in her house before. Now, she’s living at the back of our house. Mama isn’t a storyteller, but she’s amazing to me.

    Beautiful photo, katarina.

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  15. You are very welcome. It is striking that your grief is overpowered by love, even while that weight on the shoulders remains. When we hold anxiety there, slightly widening the collarbones often eases the upper back better than pulling or stretching. It lets the chest open naturally so the lungs can expand without strain.

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  16. You are very welcome, and I am glad you found the advice useful. As you work with that shoulder tension, you might also notice how the jaw reacts. Letting your tongue rest flat and wide on the floor of your mouth can instantly help release that tightness.

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