The Intricacies of Good-bye

It's considered bad luck to say "Good-bye" in India. My grandmother, in particular, disliked it when I would say good-bye to her. "Never say good-bye," she would chide gently, "it's too permanent. Always say 'I'll see you later.'"

When I visited her this time, it was almost impossible to believe that the woman who corrected my when I said good-bye was barely capable of saying hello. The woman who used to spend hours telling her grandchildren stories and who knew all her family members' favorite foods couldn't speak without being instructed to do so, couldn't recognize her own children. And although I used to spend my weekends at a nursing home visiting with Alzheimer's patients who didn't know me from one week to the next, this was different. This was ridiculous. The grandmother who had helped name me couldn't remember my name.

She would be proud that I remembered to say "I'll see you later" at the end of the visit, but this time, it felt like "Good-bye."