At My Dad’s Retirement Party, Grandma Mentioned My “Property Tax Payments” — And the Room Went Silent

last time you asked about my work, my hobbies, my friends, my life beyond ‘How’s the library?’”

She shook her head helplessly. “I don’t remember.”

“I can,” I said. “February 2014. You asked how work was going. I told you about a grant I’d written that secured five hundred thousand dollars for library programming. You said, ‘That’s wonderful,’ and then continue reading …