Month: February 2024

When you peruse the news headlines or dive into discussions on current events on social media, it’s pretty easy to feel despondent. Doom and gloom sells, unfortunately, and our natural negativity bias that’s meant to protect us can be overworked by a 24/7 bombardment of humanity’s challenges.

There is an anecdote to all of that, though: Curating and cultivating the good. Sometimes it’s just knowing where to look to find examples of problems being solved, discoveries being made, innovation taking huge leaps and other evidence that humans are moving our collective life forward in incredible ways.

Someone on Reddit asked, “What is currently in its ‘Golden age,’ but not enough people know about it?” and thousands of people responded. Reading through the answers is an enlightening and uplifting glimpse of things we might not personally be involved with but are happy to see having a heyday. Like, who wouldn’t like to know that we’re in a golden age of astronomy and paleontology. Space and dinosaurs? It’s like realizing our 5-year-old selves’ ideal future.

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Here are some of the top things that are experiencing a “golden age”:

Astronomy

The amount that scientists have learned about the final frontier in recent decades is mind-blowing.

“Astronomy is currently experiencing a golden age. It has changed radically in the last 30ish years. Think on this, if you are 30 + years old, you were born into a world that wasn’t sure if planetary systems were rare or common. We now know that nearly all stars are likely to have planets. We know of 5000+ exoplanets. Mars was not considered a place we could find signs of life by most. The generation of spacecraft exploring Mars since the year 2000 changed that. Now some argue that discovering signs of past life on Mars is a matter of when, not if. We found multiple worlds in our solar system with liquid water oceans. This is just scratching the surface. New technologies like JWST promise to keep the momentum for the foreseeable future.” – Slimjerry

“A hundred years ago, we were debating if the Milky Way was the entire universe. It’s crazy to think about how far astronomy and cosmology have come. And it’s not just huge existential topics either. Galaxy evolution has been completely reversed in the past 20 years. Elliptical aka ‘early type’ galaxies are the end result of mergers of spiral and irregular aka ‘late types.'” – snoogans235

“42 year old, you’re not even doing the scope justice. When I was a little kid, it’s not that we didn’t know if planetary systems were rare or common, it’s that we didn’t know if there were other planetary systems! It was just an assumption we extrapolated from the fact that THIS star had them, a statistical contrivance! It could have just as easily proven true that our sun was profoundly weird, the only one this happened with. Think about that next time you’re watching some classic B sci fi flick about going to another planet; that was a MUCH bigger leap in logic when that film was made than it is now.” –Of_Mice_And_Meese

Knitting and Crocheting

The fiber arts have been around a lonnnng time, but it’s never been a better time to be a knitter.

“Knitting. First, we’re in the golden age of yarns. There are hundreds of indie dyers putting amazing colors on a truly mind-boggling range of yarn bases (both fiber content and weight). Even “cheap” yarn is better quality, and comes in a wider range of colors and bases, than ever before. There’s an abundance of wool yarn soft enough to wear next to your skin (although you can get scratchy yarn if that’s your jam).

Then there are the patterns. Thousands of them, many of them free online. Think of what you want to make, and there’s a pattern out there.

Tools, too. How do you like your needles – wood, bamboo, steel, aluminum, plastic, casein? Circular with 15 sizes of interchangeable tips, straight, long short? They’re out there.

If you’re a knitting nerd, it’s a great time to be alive.”

– cwthree

“I believe it’s both crochet and knitting!! i might be a lil biased as i crochet and not knit but all the points you made apply to crochet!”

– QUEERVEE

Paleontology

DINOSAURRRRRS!!! Who knew?

“Paleontology! So much tech bringing new stuff to light.”

– foolishfoolsgold

“And archaeology. LiDAR’s power to identify probably human-made structures under layers of jungle canopy is just incredible.”

– ModusPwnins

“And completely overhauling existing knowledge. DNA studies have changed to much in paleontology that there are joke papers published about it.

A lot of people’s life work has been proven incorrect because of a few DNA studies despite those folks using the best methodologies available to them at the time.”

– guynamedjames

Cooking

So many recipes. So many documentaries. “The Great British Baking Show.” All at our fingertips.

“Cooking! I’m 30 now and it’s so easy to find amazing recipes, good cooking supplies, and with so much information I can save money on food in so many ways. Literally youtube is teaching me to make so many great things.”

– BootsRubberClumsy

“Yup, and this influx of easy information has created a nexus of global cuisines in almost all major cities. the blending of ingredients and techniques from Asia, Europe, latin America, etc is creating some really incredible stuff. I worked at a three Michelin when I was younger that had a classically trained French chef who focused on Japanese ingredients, it was really quite something.”

– ThewFflegyy

“Dietary options. No matter what issue you have, there’s a pantry full of food that will meet that restriction AND taste good.”

– deathbrusher

Board Games

This one might be surprising, considering the internet and digital entertainment and screen usage. Perhaps board games are having a great run because of, not in spite of, those things?

“Board games have been having a great run for the past 10 years, tons of amazing games coming out every year.”

– jraff_dot_net

“The combination of the internet and the inability to copyright rules have opened a floodgate of innovation in board games.” – SuperPants73

“Here are some great modern games that are considered gateway games. I would definitely call them favorites also. (Edited for formatting)

Ticket to Ride
Carcassonne
Pandemic
Dominion
Splendor
Azul

King of Tokyo”

– HabeLinkin

Music Production Equipment

Excellent news for creatives with little $$$.

“Playing guitar and recording music. You can buy a quality guitar online for crazy cheap now and some pro recording software out there is free.” – leatherwolf89

“Seriously! ‘Starter’ instruments these days are so far ahead of the starters of the 90’s/00’s- it’s insane how much quality you can get these days for much, much less.” – Fortune090

“Keyboards, both synthesizers and mechanical.

It’s possible to get a synth that sounds identical to a $5000 Minimoog for $200 and a decent mechanical keyboard for less than that.” – the_slanted_slope

“To add to that, DAWs (sound/song editing software, like photoshop for music) are amazing these days!

Some have plug-ins that can mimic orchestras so accurately that you can tell them which way a violin bow’s stroke is moving and configure valve sounds into saxes. Some digital flautists come with breath sounds! Like it’ll blow a long riff, then a sound like the musician is lightly inhaling.

Off key? Add a little auto-tune. Drummer’s all ‘not quite my temp’ on you? Align it to a digital metronome. Now your drum tracks sound like they’re made by an app? Add a little random error into the mix to “humanize” it.

That shit used to cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. Now $5k gets you a moderately professional studio rig. (But the price for top-end stuff will always be ‘how much ya got?’)” – hendergle

Home Television Sets

For real. We’ve all experienced the opposite of inflation with home TVs and it’s been a glorious thing.

“Home TVs. The sort of hardware you can get for even $300 is absolutely absurd compared to what the 1980s through 2000s knew.” – NotAnotherEmpire

“32-inch, 2006 from Best Buy for $1,700.

I can’t come to terms with the fact that only 18 years later I’m watching a TV twice as big that cost 40% less and carries a picture quality that’s so good it gives me chills sometimes.” – frawgster

“Accurate. Just got a 55″ Samsung LCD for $350. Hard to beat that value.” – Pac_Eddy

The rock music scene changed in a big way in the early ‘90s; spandex-clad glam rockers were kicked to the curb by a new group of alternative-rock acts that were rooted in the D.I.Y. (do-it-yourself) ethics of the late ‘70s, early ‘80s punk movement.

MTV served up videos to the new movement via “120 Minutes,” a nightly video show featuring the latest alternative rock, punk and indie acts. A frequent host of the show was Henry Rollins, the former singer of punk icons Black Flag who later created The Rollins Band.

One night, Rollins dispensed some essential D.I.Y. advice for the kids watching at home. He asked them to be inspired by the acts they saw on MTV, not awed by them.

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“Instead of being awed by all these people with their wonderful hair and airbrushed faces, you can also go out and get yourself a guitar, learn some rudimentary chords and play yourself,” Rollins said. “You can be awed into submission to where you will sit and be a fan for the rest of your life instead of being someone who does.”

Rollins tied his advice to Nirvana’s approach that completely changed rock music.

Henry Rollins says don’t be awed, be inspired on MTV 120 Minutes (1993.01.31) Black Flag

“That’s why you should learn the lesson from Nirvana,” Rollins continued. “You can be a mere mortal on the planet, not be the big attractive, perfectly-styled guy, have a greasy T-shirt and an attitude, pick up a guitar and actually make some meaningful music. You figure half these boneheads can’t read and they can play a guitar. You stand a really good chance.”

Rollins then pointed out that people can easily be “freaked out” when they see a genius like Picasso or Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain. Instead, they should choose to be “inspired” by their work to create their own art for the world to enjoy.

Richard Lewis, the beloved comic and longtime friend/foil to Larry David on Curb Your Enthusiasm, died on Wednesday. He was 76. The cause was a heart attack after a short battle with Parkinson’s. Tributes naturally poured in, social media teeming with clips of Lewis (as “himself”) engaged in endless verbal battles with David (as “himself”). One of those came from David himself, and it’s both moving and very him.

“Richard and I were born three days apart in the same hospital and for most of my life he’s been like a brother to me,” David said in a statement released by HBO. “He had that rare combination of being the funniest person and also the sweetest. But today he made me sob, and for that I’ll never forgive him.”

Lewis, whose darkly acerbic comedy was a staple of the entertainment industry since the 1970s, was in on Curb Your Enthusiasm from the get-go, having appeared in the original 1999 HBO special that birthed a series that’s currently airing its final season. He swung by for 41 episodes, about a third of the full run.

But Lewis and David went back way further. In an interview from last summer, Lewis discussed meeting his future sparring partner at a summer camp when they were kids. It didn’t go well.

“I disliked him intensely,” he recalled. “He was cocky, he was arrogant. When we played baseball, I tried to hit him with the ball: we were arch-rivals. I couldn’t wait for the camp to be over just to get away from Larry. I’m sure he felt the same way.”

The two reconnected a decade later, when they were both working the NYC comedy scene. “I looked at his face and I said, ‘There’s something about you, man, that spooks me.’” Lewis remembered. David replied, “You’re Richard Lewis!” “You’re Larry David!”

Lewis had health problems in his final years, with surgeries keeping him from appearing but briefly in Curb’s 11th season. Luckily he was able to appear in this season’s third episode, which only aired a week-and-a-half ago. Lewis will be missed, but he left behind a rich and prolific body of hilarious work, and not only when he was tussling with his good frenemy Larry David.

(Via The Hollywood Reporter)

(WARNING: Spoilers for BMF episode will be found below.)

Nearly a year has gone by since season two of BMF concluded. In the season two finale, viewers say Meech (played by Demetrius “Lil Meech” Flenory Jr.) and Terry (played by Da’Vinchi) split up under the BMF name as Meech decided to establish the group in Atlanta where they had a bit of history. As he works on that, Terry will remain in Detroit and protect everything he and his brother worked to build as BMF. Season three will follow the duo’s progress in their respective cities, and if you’ve been following BMF for the past two seasons, you know there will be some good, bad, and ugly with BMF. So here’s when BMF season three will get underway.

When Will BMF Season 3, Episode 1 Come Out?

The first episode of BMF season three, titled “Detroit Vs. Everybody,” will arrive on March 1. The episode will be available on Friday, 3/1 on the STARZ app starting at midnight EST/PST. The episode will later air on the STARZ TV channel at 8 pm ET/PT. A synopsis for “Detroit Vs. Everybody” can be found below:

Meech officially relocates from Detroit to Atlanta in search of expanding BMF during the height of the city’s international expansion. Terry remains in Detroit to maintain the BMF enterprise and to start a new life for his family with Lawanda. Meech learns that the move to Atlanta will be full of pleasant and unpleasant surprises

New episodes of ‘BMF’ are available on the STARZ app on Fridays at 12 am ET/PT and on the STARZ TV channel at 8 pm ET/PT.

Chloe Bailey (also known as Chlöe) had an outstanding 2023, releasing her debut album, In Pieces, playing her first-ever solo headlining tour to promote it, and appearing in a pair of television projects, the obsessed-fan thriller Swarm and the comedic choir competition film, Praise This.

After taking some time off, it looks like Chlöe is coming back for another round in 2024, as she shared a pre-save link for her first single of the year, “F*ck Your Status.” She also shared a snippet of the song’s vocal intro, which resolves into a heavy bass instrumental just before the cut. It sounds like her future material will continue in the same vein as many of the songs from In Pieces, addressing themes of relationships and the emotional entanglements that complicate them.

The 25-year-old singer has yet to announce plans for a follow-up to In Pieces, but one seems likelier than the reunion with her sister Halle she teased in January. While fans have been clamoring for a new Chloe X Halle album since 2021, the sisters’ pursuit of their respective solo projects put those plans on hold. Then, just when it seemed as though they’d get the chance to follow through after Halle completed her obligations to film projects The Little Mermaid and The Color Purple, she got a baby for Christmas. Being a new mom is pretty time-consuming, so the assumption now is that Chlöe will continue with her solo career and we’ll just have to wait a little bit longer for that Chloe X Halle album.

Just prior to the All-Star break, the New York Knicks lost to the Houston Rockets in dubious fashion after officials called a foul on Jalen Brunson on a last-second shot attempt by Aaron Holiday. After the game, in a pool report, the lead official confirmed there had been no contact and there was no foul, but with the Knicks unable to challenge the call, that was a moot point.

The Knicks then launched an official protest to the NBA, citing the incorrect call and referee’s admission of it being incorrect on what became the decisive points at the end of the game. Games under protest almost never get overturned by the league, but some wondered if this instance might end up going the Knicks way given how cut and dry the missed call was that directly led to the winning two points being scored.

Unfortunately for the Knicks, the league denied their protest, which wasn’t a huge surprise given the history of official protests in the NBA, but the wording of how they explained it raised some eyebrows for many.

Saying it was an error in judgement rather than a misapplication of the rules feels like an incredible bit of semantics, as you can certainly make the case that officials calling a foul when there was not one is, by definition, misapplying the rules of the game. At the same time, I understand why the NBA doesn’t allow protests to be upheld on missed foul calls, because that would open quite the can of worms (especially in this current landscape of the Last 2 Minute report). That said, this particular phrasing is just begging to be picked apart by fans, particularly those in New York.

Do you know how it feels to be a hater? Infinity Song does. Well, kind of. The collective, composed of siblings Abraham, Angel, Israel, and Momo Boyd, had their song “Haters Anthem” get a healthy boost from TikTok last year. And for good reason.

But despite having an anthem for haters, Infinity Song make quite kind music. Their latest album Metamorphosis dropped in late 2023, with its expanded follow-up, Infinity Song Essentials, arriving earlier this year. An apt title Metamorphosis, puts the group’s transformation on full display. From “Haters Anthem,” which describes a cycle of cynicism, to the title track “Metamorphosis,” a song about gaining self-confidence, Infinity Song is dynamic soft rock songwriting at its best.

The group’s whip-smart lyrics and wistful chords not only caught the attention of a sizable social media following, but their rise-to-fame story sounds like it’s straight out of a movie. After being homeschooled by parents who founded the Boys & Girls Choirs of Detroit, Infinity Song spent their early years performing to large crowds. Back in 2016, a clip of the siblings busking on the street in NYC caught the attention of The Book Of Clarence director Jeymes Samuel, who then forwarded the video to Jay-Z. The rapper then met the group and signed them to RocNation while encouraging them to hold onto their unique sound.

To celebrate the success of Metamorphosis and Infinity Song Essentials, Infinity Song sit down with Uproxx to talk lofty goals, accidentally sleeping at the Pentagon, and fighting fear in our latest Q&A.

What are some words you would use to describe your music?

Comforting, Relatable, Complex yet Accessible, Fun, Cool.

It’s 2050 and the world hasn’t ended and people are still listening to your music. How would you like it to be remembered?

We want to be remembered alongside the greats. The Jacksons, The Beatles, The Clark Sisters, The Rolling Stones, U2, Coldplay, The Police, Oasis, Destiny’s Child, The Winans, The Hawkins Family, Earth, Wind, and Fire, to name a few. We’re aiming for the highest heights.

Who’s the person who has most inspired your work, and why?

Our Dad (John Boyd) is a very important influence on our work. From the way that we produce music, or write songs, down to our entire vocal and musical paradigm, no one has impacted us more.

Where did you eat the best meal of your life and what was it?

The best meal of our lives is pretty tough, but we recently ate dinner family style at Phillipe Chow in NYC, it was one of our best and most meaningful meals of the year.

Tell us about the best concert you’ve ever attended.

Kanye West Sunday Service at Spring Studios in Hollywood on 1/26/20.

What song never fails to make you emotional?

It’s different for all of us, but there is a special euphoria when we perform Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams.”

What’s the last thing you Googled?

Haha, not a chance.

Where’s the weirdest place you’ve ever crashed while on tour?

We turned into a random parking lot after a blowout while on the freeway in Washington DC, and ended up sleeping in the car while waiting for a tow truck. This “random” parking lot happened to be the official parking lot of the Pentagon. Needless to say, the Capitol Police had some questions for us. We did eventually end up in a hotel, but not before one of the most interesting experiences of our lives.

What’s your favorite city in the world to perform and what’s the city you hope to perform in for the first time?

There is no place to perform like New York City. We look forward to doing shows in London, the energy over there seems to be amazing.

What’s one piece of advice you’d go back in time to give to your 18-year-old self?

Good things take time to build, keep going, don’t give up, be patient with yourself, and have fun along the way.

If you had a million dollars to donate to charity, what cause would you support and why?

Music education is a big deal, we grew up in our Dad’s community choir, that experience definitely gave us a head start.

What are your thoughts about AI and the future of music?

AI can do many amazing things, the intangible genius of the human spirit can’t be replicated. The future of music is certain so long as we hold on to authenticity and feeling. You can teach software formula, you can’t teach software feeling. AI will likely be a helpful tool to many artists in the future.

You are throwing a music festival. Give us the dream lineup of 5 artists that will perform with you.

The Beatles, The Jackson 5, The Rolling Stones, Sly and the Family Stone, and The Winans Family.

Who’s your favorite person to follow on social media?

Tobe Nwigwe.

What’s the story behind your first or favorite tattoo?

No tattoos to report.

What is your pre-show ritual?

We always pray before a show.

You have a month off and the resources to take a dream vacation. Where are you going and who is coming with you?

Going on a cruise with the whole family and our friends would be really fun.

What is your biggest fear?

The life of an artist is spent facing or resisting fear. Fear is our enemy, we fight it every day.

Metamorphosis is out now via Roc Nation Records/Universal. Find more information here.

The fallout from the new lawsuit against Sean “Diddy” Combs continues. The discourse has predictably — perhaps inevitably — gone downhill as the focus shifted from the allegations of Combs’ inappropriate, bullying behavior to (sigh) beef between rapper Meek Mill and internet personality DJ Akademiks over gay rumors now circulating as a result of Meek Mill being mentioned in the lawsuit. Here’s a rundown of why Meek and Akademiks have been arguing on Twitter.

Why Was Meek Mill Mentioned In The New Diddy Lawsuit?

As pointed out earlier today, the lawsuit, filed by one of Diddy’s Off The Grid producers, Rodney “Lil Rod Madeit” Jones, claims that Combs boasted to Jones he had sexual intercourse with other entertainers, whose names were redacted.

DJ Akademiks, in reading the suit for his fans (shame on them) on social media, used the provided footnotes to determine that they were most likely Usher and Meek Mill. Naturally (sigh), as this report spread on social media, it kicked up the well-tread, utterly exhausting tendency of a certain segment of users to fixate on the alleged participants’ sexualities rather than, you know, anything Diddy did that might have been illegal or harmful.

Meek, upon discovering the rumors flying online, logged in to try to regain control of the narrative — rookie move. His insistence that some identified “they” were doing “damage control” (does he know what these words mean?) only drew more attention to the buzzing rumors, while his indirect threats toward Akademiks brought the man (slash “mouse”) himself to Meek’s digital doorstep. You can see a truncated version of the exchange below.

An important thing to remember in this situation is that anybody can say anything in a lawsuit. The point is to get attention and generate buzz around it, so plaintiffs’ attorneys will often make sure to put the most inflammatory allegations in the news cycle, hoping to embarrass the defendant into a quick settlement (as happened with Cassie’s lawsuit against Diddy, which kicked off the last several months worth of legal actions against the music impresario). Diddy has maintained his settlement with Cassie was not an admission of guilt, while decrying the new lawsuits as nothing but “money grabs.”

If Diddy really did engage in illegal or inappropriate behavior, he should be held accountable for it. Past that, the rest is nobody’s business. The main takeaway here is that the world really would be better off if we all stopped paying attention to DJ Akademiks.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Sadly, a lot of men go out of their way to avoid learning anything about a woman’s period.

(That could be why throughout most of the United States — where the majority of lawmakers are men — feminine hygiene products are subject to sales tax.)

So we should give some love to the guys who make an effort to learn a bit about the menstrual cycle so they can help their family members when they’re in desperate need of feminine hygiene products.

Personally, as a guy, the feminine hygiene aisle can be a little intimidating. There are multiple brands, styles of products, scents, absorbency levels, and they are all color-coded.

What do the colors mean?

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Knowing there’s a lot I don’t know, I take a picture on my phone of the box I’m about to purchase and send it to my wife, asking, “Is this the right one?”

A dad in the U.K. is getting some love on social media for the hilarious way he navigated the world of feminine hygiene products while showing how much he loved his daughter in the process.

It all began when Tia Savva sent her dad to Tesco, a popular U.K. drug store, to pick up some tampons.

For all the guys out there that need a solid primer on what goes on in the feminine hygiene product aisle, this quick tutorial from Mel magazine does a pretty great job.

This article originally appeared on July 2, 2019

You always stole my thunder. You gave them everything they wanted. You never said no when they asked for anything.

Tina Platamura

A second helping of dessert. Candy before dinner. A few more minutes in the bath. Money for the ice cream truck.

I struggled to show you respect and appreciation while trying to make sure you didn’t spoil my children. I thought you would turn them into “selfish brats” by giving them everything they wanted. I thought they might never learn to wait, to take turns, to share, because you granted their wishes as soon as they opened their mouths and pointed.

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You held each one of my babies long after they fell asleep. Didn’t you understand that I needed them to learn to fall asleep on their own?

You ran to them as soon as they made the tiniest sound. How would they ever learn to self-soothe?

I resented you for buying the best and most expensive gifts on their birthdays and on Christmas. How could I possibly compete with you?

“I thought they might never learn to wait, to take turns, to share, because you granted their wishes as soon as they opened their mouths and pointed.”

And how they loved afternoons spent with you. You made their favorite things for dinner — three different meals for three different boys. And you always had a little surprise. A present, candy, or a special treat. I didn’t want them to associate you with gifts and sweets. I thought they should love you for you. I tried to tell you this, but you wouldn’t listen.

I spent a lot of time wondering why you did all these things and how I could get you to ease up. I know grandmothers are supposed to “spoil the kids” then send them home, but you were … ridiculous.

Until you were gone.

I had to hold my boys and tell them that their grandma died. It didn’t seem possible — you were supposed to be there for all the other special moments: proms, graduations, weddings. But they lost their grandma too soon and too suddenly. They were not ready to say goodbye.

During those years when I wished you’d stop spoiling them, I never thought about how much you loved them. So much that you showed it in every way possible. Your cooking. The gifts. The candy and sweets. Your presence. The way you could recount every detail of a special moment, whether it was a perfect catch in the outfield or a sweet and slightly off-key note sung at a school concert. Your grandmotherly love for them knew no bounds. Your heart poured love from every place possible — your kitchen, your pocketbook, your words, and your tireless arms.

It’s pointless to dwell on regrets, but I often think about how I had it all wrong. I was so wrong in how I perceived your generosity.

My kids, now in their teens, miss you dearly. And they don’t miss your gifts or your money. They miss you.

They miss running to greet you at the door and hugging you before you could step in. They miss looking up at the bleachers and seeing you, one of their biggest fans, smiling and enthralled to catch their eye. They miss talking to you and hearing your words of wisdom, encouragement and love.

If I could speak to you one more time, I would tell you that every time a precious moment steals my heart, every time I watch them arrive at a new milestone, and every time they amaze me with their perseverance, talents, or triumphs, I think of you. And I wish that they could have you back.

Come back and love them one last time, like no one else in the world but a grandmother could. Bring your sweets and surprises. Reward them with gifts for the smallest accomplishments. Painstakingly prepare their favorite meals. Take them anywhere they want to go. All and only because you love them.

Come back and see how much they’ve grown. Watch each boy becoming his own version of a young man. Be in awe with me as we admire how family, friendship, time, and love helped them grow so beautifully over the years.

The more I long for you to come back, though, the more I realize that in a way, you never left.

I understand now. I know you loved them in every way you could. I know that being their grandma gave you joy and purpose. And of course I know that you can’t come back, but I do know that your love for them will always remain. Your love built them and sheltered them in ways that cannot be described. Your love is a big part of who they are and what they will become as they grow. For this, and for every treat and gift, and every time you held them too long or consoled them too much or let them stay up too late, I will always thank you.

And I will wish a million times that you could do it all again.

This article was written by Tina Plantamura and originally appeared on 04.14.16