I was challenged to recreate and re-envision a story that I have previously told. Tackling this challenge head on led me to write a story about a relationship between a granddaughter and grandmother. This is a written example of a culmination of different skills that I am proficient in. This story showcases skills in video editing, photography use, and reflection.

Bebe and Little E 

An open letter to a loved one.

Dear Loved One,

You hold a very special place in my heart, and I wanted to share with you how highly I think of you. You are bold and courageous. You are bitter and sweet. You are loving and welcoming. I can always seek you out in times of strife in my life and have a shoulder to cry on. You have taught me a lot about life in ways I never recognized until I was older. You are the reason I can stand on my own two feet with my head held high. You taught me how to handle issues with grace and confidence. And to always be kind to others.

There are so many more things I could say about you, and none of them would do you any justice. You’re the most incredible human being ever. I never will be able to put into words how much you mean to me entirely, but I will always try.

Yours truly,

-someone that loves you deeply

Meet my Loved one.

Barbara Nelle Glass Clifton is my grandmum and is affectionately known as Bebe. She is most definitely my role model in life. Adventurous, strong, courageous, kind-hearted, and always holding her head high through life’s ups and downs. I have so much admiration and gratitude for her teachings.
 
Growing up and managing the difficulties of middle school “mean” girls, I often took refuge in her kitchen. During those formative years, we started cooking together. Bebe allowed me to be creative with instructions and ingredients and have fun with the process. What I eventually learned was that cooking is a lesson in chemistry and that there are certain simple rules to follow. Through many trials and errors, she taught me the patience of baking the perfect apple pie.

Her life’s lessons extended beyond the kitchen. As a lover of the fine arts, music, literature, architecture, painting, and sculpture, Bebe graciously has taken me to hundreds of opera, Broadway and symphony productions as well as tours of museums in over a dozen cities around the world. New York City, Chicago, Cincinnati, Louisville, Lexington, Nashville, Vero Beach… since I was old enough to sit still, I have attended an impressive list of live productions and exhibits thanks to her. To share her love of the arts has been a great gift to me. 

Get to know Bebe.

Bebe grew up in the countryside outside of Wilmore, Kentucky. She was raised with old fashioned values in a loving farm family. She attended Centre College which was 25 miles away from her home. There, she met the man that would one day be her husband, James McGuire Clifton. Mack was also from a small Kentucky town and attended Centre to pursue his dreams of a career in medicine. He had grand plans of following his father’s steps as a small town doctor. Direction and dreams changed after they were married. Setting their roots in Lexington, Kentucky, a career in medicine gave way to a successful career in finance and the addition of two sons, Daniel and James, Jr., my father.

Barbara was Mack’s partner in life in every way and was the key to his success. She was a gifted cook and entertainer, skills she put to good use. She instinctively knew how to put people at ease in her home at her many dinner and cocktail parties, helping her husband gain new clients and expand his portfolio of business. She had a knack for combining guests to create fun conversation and memorable evenings. It was always hard work, but she made it look effortless. So many people have shared with me what a wonderful entertainer my grandmother is, but it’s no surprise to me as I see the results all the time. Beautifully starched linens, gleaming silver, fresh florals, sparkling glasses, and candles are always a part of the dining experience at my grandmothers. She truly is an entertainer extraordinaire. Her efforts are directly related to her husband’s success. Their financial comfort afforded them the gift of being able to share experiences with their children and grandchildren generously.

“Carpe Diem”

To travel is to live, if you ask my grandmother. She believes in experiences and is still a very active traveler at eighty-three years old. How many passport books has she filled up? Too many! Russia, Egypt, Switzerland, Cambodia, Vietnam, Greece, Ireland, Scotland, England, France, Italy… she has traveled down the Nile, toured the pyramids, sampled the vodka with her new Russian friends, hiked the steps of Notre Dame, explored the ruins of volcano buried cities and ridden atop of an elephant. She doesn’t just sit comfortably on a tour bus. This is a woman who will take advantage of any experience.

In an effort to share her love of traveling with every grandchild, she offered each of us a European trip of choice upon our high school graduation. My oldest sister went to Italy, traveling by gondola thru the canals. My cousin went to England, mesmerized by the architecture of Westminster Abbey. His sister chose Italy, reenacting a Roman gladiator event and preparing homemade pasta in a cooking class. My middle sister chose England to walk the Neolithic stones of Stonehenge. When it came time for me, I was giddy with the choice of where to go and what to do.

With the mentality of a child in a candy store, I started to research the cities that I only dreamed about visiting. The idea of the fast pace metropolitan city of London and the romantic aura of the city of Paris caught my attention. As a novice traveler, I couldn't make my mind up. Both cities held so much potential in exploration and both housed impressive collections of fine art. So with the choice between Buckingham Palace or Palais de Versailles, I asked Bebe for advice. I still remember the smile that crept across her face, “Why not both?”. With a pure thrill, I hugged her, and we started to plan a trip that I would forever remember.

To Travel is to Live

As our departure date closed in, I spent a lot of time finding the perfect outfit for each activity with the help of Bebe. This is one of our favorite past times together. Bebe loved for me to put on a fashion show and offer her opinions on my selections. She definitely spoiled me on birthday shopping trips, which I appreciated.

With much to look forward to and bags packed, we hopped the pond and landed in London. Immediately, I was in love. The accents, the clothes, the people, seemed familiar but different than anything I had experienced in the US. Driving on the opposite of the road, colloquial terms (“Mind the Gap”), I loved it all.

Eating the fish and chips and ducking into the countless number of pubs for a refreshing pint or hot tea was perfect.

The rich history drew me in as we toured The Windsor Castle and The Tower of London. Seeing the sights and sounds was all good fun, and I definitely didn’t mind showing off a few of my carefully planned outfits on social media. Many times I was given free rein to take to the streets around the hotel to navigate myself. Pretending not to be a tourist but just any British teen, I learned the way of life in London and was quite comfortable. There were so many beautiful places to shop and eat with friendly people eager to help.

My favorite memory was sitting down in a tea shop with Bebe and taking in the delicious aroma of the English tea. As I sat watching the busy life of Londoners, I admired the beautiful contrast between old and new architecture. With Bebe’s careful eye we navigated the city and learned about history as we walked back. The days that followed I started to see Bebe’s love for the history and the arts in a new light that I never noticed. And so every day was a new day to take in as much as I could before leaving for Paris.

Paris : The city of love

With a quick zip on the Eurostar, I saw the London disappear before my eyes. I heard lots of new accents and saw new scenery until everything went dark in the tunnel. With one step off of the train in Paris, I knew it would become my favorite between the two. The people, the aroma, the atmosphere, were all enticing. Traveling through the city, we were welcomed with the sense of magic and wonder. In typical Bebe style, she commissioned a charming driver in an old fashioned convertible to give us a city tour.

When we arrived for the tour, he was ready with chilled champagne and glass flutes for us to “toast” the sites. Following our Parisian guided tour was a dinner cruise on the Seine to observe the twinkling lights of the Eiffel Tower at night. This was indeed an experience that I hold close to my heart. OH! And did I mention it was Fashion week in Paris? Wow. I can't remember one moment while in this lovely city where I felt anything but happiness.

And as I swooned for the city of Paris, I watched my bond with Bebe grow stronger. She and I would share stories from our lives over dinner and macaroons. Hearing her childhood memories was truly an experience. To do this day, I remember the story she told me about being raised in a small town. I never could see my grandmum in that light until experiencing small moments like those. I get to thank Bebe for all of these wonderful memories.

To share what one loves with those that they love is a true gift. I can't thank my grandmum enough for the experiences given to me during my graduation trip… but it’s really more about a larger issue. She took an interest in me and invested the time and love to carry me to the next stage of my life. I am the person today because of those that believed and supported me through the years. My grandmum just happens to play a starring role. She is indeed a wonderful woman whom I look up to every day.

I wouldn’t be the same person I am today without her support, care, wisdom, and love. She has taught me how to love life in the kindness way and to appreciate the beauty of art that surrounds me.

Love you Bebe.

-El