Gram, this is for you.

I never took a real spring break. Well, maybe "traditional" is a better word. I spent my spring breaks with my Gram in Punta Gorda, FL. It was great. We'd tool around in her best friend's golf cart. We'd play cards and eat pretzels with peanut butter. We'd drink highballs and sit in the sun and visit the weird and random around her community. We'd volunteer at her church. Those weeks were some of the best memories I have of my Grammi. I wish I had been able to do it as an adult -- or at least apologize for the stubborn, hard-headedness of my collegiate youth.

In addition to spending quality Grammi time, we'd go shopping. Gram, who hated shopping for herself, would encourage me to wear teal capris and sweetheart necklines. Never black. (I looked like death warmed over in black). I loved it. And I learned that sometimes, even though a t-shirt and jeans would make me more comfortable, sometimes the situation warrants a little more.

So next week, I'm wearing bright colors. I'm wearing a sweetheart neckline. I'll be wearing lipstick (which is also due to my mother's influence: always wear lipstick when you need to feel happy). And when I have lunch with Grammi's sister and brother-in-law (my favorite great aunt and uncle), I promise not to wear black.