I’ve never been one to dwell on the past. I’m the type of person that takes the time in each moment to truly relish in it, and then put it in that part of my brain where memory is stored, and move on. I wouldn’t go as far as to say that I’m not nostalgic, because I am very much. I love looking at old family photo albums, I love American history, and there’s nothing I enjoy more than reminiscing with my siblings. I think the one area in which I wish I could turn back the hands of time, even if just for the day, it would be to spend one more day with my grandmother.
She died the day after my 16th birthday, with me wholeheartedly knowing that she had waited for me. She wouldn’t have wanted me to share my birthday with the day she had died. Her name was Lucretia, but don’t you dare call her that! She drank caffeine free Pepsi, went to bingo regularly, adored John Wayne, and loved Christmas more than anyone I’ve ever met. She was my mother’s mom, my Gram R. She was my favorite person.
I’m so lucky to have had two awesome grandmas. My dad’s mom (Gram B.) holds a very near and dear spot in my heart as well. She is a mean cook, raised nine children, and is one of the best bargain shoppers I’ve ever met! She tells it like it is and you can take it or leave it. I appreciate that. Luckily, she’s still with us. She can’t pronounce my sons’ Irish names correctly, but she tries and that’s all that matters. I love her.
Here are the reasons why grandmas are the best:
- They always have candy. Gram R. always had “Fruit Stipes” bubble gum in her purse. She’d give me, my siblings and the neighborhood kids each a piece. Don’t even get me started on Gram B.’s homemade fudge. Not technically candy, but yes please.
- They know your parents better than you. If you ever want to hear a good story about your mom or dad, Grandma has the dirt. I remember Gram B. telling me a funny story about my dad getting into a fight with his best friend over a game of marbles as a kid. My stoic father – fighting over something so silly is pretty comical.
- They know how to cook. One of my grandmothers makes the best spaghetti sauce you’ll ever taste and the other never made anything I didn’t like. Unfortunately, I didn’t inherit the cooking gene. Oops.
- When mom and dad say no, grandma says yes. Oh, the times I got one of my grandmothers on my side to coerce my parents. Like a charm.
- They have the best taste. After Gram R. died, she wanted her granddaughters to go through her jewelry and take what we wanted. The lady had some class. The pieces of hers that I have are some of my most prized possessions. I wore one of her rings on my right hand at my wedding because it’s beautiful and I wanted a part of her with me that day.
- They will teach you how to love. From the very beginning, some of my earliest memories are of receiving hugs from both of them.
- They are treasured time pieces. Is there anything better than sitting with your grandma and hearing a story about something from the past? Even as a young child, I relished in both of their stories.
- They know how to have fun. I was never bored anytime I visited either of my grandmothers. Whether I was shopping with Gram B., or berry picking with Gram R., there was never a lack of something to do!
- They will teach you how to be strong. Throughout the years, I’ve seen both of them go through so much. I watched Gram R. struggle with cancer, yet still laugh with us all while she cooked dinner on Sundays. Gram B. raised nine children! Need I say more?
- They will impact your life, for the rest of your life. Although Gram R. has been gone for over a decade now, she continues to hold a special part of my heart. She always will. I feel lucky to still have Gram B. around. I’m glad one of them got to know me as an adult. She’s given me a lot of lasting advice that I’ve carried into adulthood and motherhood.
I hope you have been as lucky as I have in the grandmother department. If so, I hope you will take a moment to thank her this Mother’s Day, whether it be with a phone call, a trip to her house, or a visit to the cemetery. I’m sure she’ll appreciate it no matter where she is.