Do you remember visiting your grandmother and playing in the parlor? Maybe she called it the sitting room, or it might be just an area in the living room set aside for guests. It was that special place where you had to be on your best behavior. No milk, no cookies, no dancing and singing was only done very quietly.

My great-grandma had a wonderful parlor. It was huge! The only time I remember going to visit her there were rows and rows of chairs lined up. People everywhere! Aunts and uncles and cousins and oh so many more people I didn't know.

I remember playing under those chairs with some of the younger cousins. We wiggled through between the chair legs, sat and clapped to the music, giggled and hid from the older cousins. What a time we had. Too much fun.

Before heading for home, mama told me to tell great-grandma goodbye and to give her a hug and kiss. I still remember kissing grandma, telling her I "wuffed" her, wondering why she didn't give me a hug back; but she was sleeping, so that was probably why.
Years later, while talking with some of my cousins, I mentioned how much fun it was to play in great-grandma's parlor. One of them laughed and said, "Hon, you mean you remember going to great-gran's? I thought you were too little to remember her. She died when you were about two."

"Sure," chimed in another cousin. "Remember, we played under the chairs and hid from all the aunts. They got real upset because they wanted to hold you."

Uh-oh.

"You mean, that wasn't great-grandma's house we were playing at?" I asked.

"No, hon, that wasn't great-grandma's parlor you were playing in, that was the funeral parlor."

P.S.
I still miss you, grandma....and I still "wuff you."