I recently learned that my grandmother—my Cheen Hahlmuhnee—she told my mother when she was pregnant with me, “It doesn’t matter if she’s a boy or a girl, I just want the baby to be healthy.” My father was the eldest son and therefore, traditionally, it was my mother’s job to produce a son. She fully expected that kind of pressure when she married my dad, but instead, her mother-in-law just wanted a healthy, happy grandbaby. Learning this made me feel loved in a way I had trouble articulating. My grandmother loved me before I was even born. She loved me before I had a chance to do anything to earn that love. She loved me with a love so big and so strong, I could do nothing to lose it. For the first time in my life, at 47 years old, I learned what it felt like to know a love that was unconditional. I can be worthy just by being me. I’ve been sitting with this discovery for the past several days and golly… it makes me miss my grandmother so much. It makes me regret not getting to know ...