The Calligraphy Class at the Senior Center

My grandmother signed up for a calligraphy class at the senior center at eighty-four and asked me to drive her. I ended up joining too.

The teacher, a former architect named Mr. Okafor, was strict about posture and generous with praise. We practiced the letter "a" for an entire week. My grandmother's lines were steadier than mine, which delighted her enormously.

By the end of six weeks we each made a final project. She wrote out her mother's favorite proverb in Spanish. I wrote "Sunday dinner at Abuela's" and gave it to her.

It's framed above her kitchen table now, slightly crooked, right where we eat on Sundays. She points it out to every visitor and says, "My grandchild did that." She does not mention that her own was better. I've noticed she's generous like that.