Alpha Baba

My paternal Grandmother, Tatjana, was no wallflower. Although our "Baba" usually was cuddly and soft—inside and out—sometimes she revealed her canyons of hardship.

Tatjana occasionally articulated her resolve by wagging her finger. This could be bad or good. For example, she often delivered the gesture as a threat—"Wait till your Mother gets home" or "I'll leave if I don't get my way." At other times, she used it as an affectionate softener when she offered sage, but unsolicited, advice—"I told you so."

I couldn't distinguish between the two finger-wagging genres when I was a kid: the wagging finger always sent me flying.

This photo likely illustrates the good, "See, I'm older and smarter than you," kind of delivery:

Suburban Chicago, December 1970. Fire in those melancoly eyes: Tatjana drives home a point while talking to my Godfather.