Patricia Sikorski Berardelli

A Woman of Few Words Patricia Sikorski Berardelli

Brilliance can come from education or in combination with life experience. With my grandmother, it came from neither. Her brilliance came from gumption. Throughout her life, she chose to explore the world through words. Whether it was the newspaper, a novel, or her daily crossword, she uncovered new meanings, almost religiously, in places, things, people, and ideas. Never far from her dictionary, she was always sharpening her skills, page by page, puzzle by puzzle. Because of her shy nature, it wasnt until later in her life that we came to discover her words of poetry. Although I knew her all my life, it was through her poems and her passion for them that I came to appreciate my mimis artistry. To me, she had always been a woman of few words. To my great misfortune, just when I started to get to know the woman behind the words, did she begin to lose them. Because of her dementia, the pathway to connecting with her became rocky. Obstructed by confusion, fear, and uncertainty, she slowly faded from us. After her death, we found the full records of her poetry, some of which we now lovingly share with the world. We hope you enjoy these few words that continue to help us get to know the poet we called grandmother, mom, and mimi.