Unexpected Treasures

Apartment Update: We've decided to wait for a while instead of moving. My grandma just had a stroke and things are changing a lot with her, so we don't want to heighten the stress with moving at present. Also, my landlord has talked to our noisy neighbors and they've been doing better with it.
I knew that this was coming. My grammy is 88, after all. But, I'm still rebelling against it inside. She had to spend some time in the hospital and now she is in a care facility. She sat up and was able to eat yesterday, so things seem to be doing better. My mother doesn't expect that Grandma will ever return to her little home, however. I've been to that house practically every summer since I was a kid. It still feels exciting and magical pulling into the driveway. I don't want it to be someone else's house; my mother grew up in that house. I'm just glad that I can still go see my Grandma and hear her sweet "hello."
Today Johnny wanted to cheer me up. The stress had been getting to me lately. So, he said he wanted to take me somewhere. He took me to a key store a few blocks away. He said they also sold rocks. I didn't expect a lot. Maybe some quartz or tigers eye... However, when we walked in I saw minerals and geodes and awesomeness all about me! Rock hammers! Meteorites! Azurite! I was immediately high from the rock-coolness. I started rushing around gathering up the things I wanted to take home with me and gasping. We got a tiny ammonite, a couple of cool geodes, several minerals... it was awesome! And, something that is rapidly becoming my favorite thing, I got to talk to rock people. They don't have a degree in it, they aren't the "experts," but they love geology and rocks and they are addicted to it, too. They showed me the treasures they've found and the work they do -- tons of geodes were being sliced and were waiting to be polished out back. Our eyes sparkled back and forth as we talked about it all. One thing I've found, if you really love rocks and you find someone else that loves them just as much, you ARE friends. Instantly.
My grandma loves rocks. And I didn't even know until a month ago. She showed me her favorites, the jewelry she makes with them, I told her about mine... And that part of her will always be on fire inside of me, no matter that she has to stay in a bed, no matter how much longer until she sees Grandpa... she's with me in the field, she's that light inside the stones. I feel so much peace now.