Grandparent's Day Brings Special Memories

September 9, 2001

My brother, my cousins and I climbed trees, made mud pies, jumped off the barn and imagined we were some sort of Superman. Sometimes we would just lie on the grass and watch cotton clouds float by. I saw all kinds of pictures in the clouds and dreamed of my knight in shining armor.

The big black smoke puffing engine pulling the freight train made a lot of noise across the way. Throughout the day we ran to count the cars and to wave at the engineer.

All of that made us extremely thirsty and we hurried to Granddaddy's filling station down the street to drink a soda pop. Each day we picked a different soda. Those ice cold bottles of Strawberry Pop, Delaware Punch and Creme Soda just added more happiness to "Our Gang."

I loved the big tent summer revival at Granny's church. She took quilts and made pallets for my brother and me. I can remember falling asleep on Granny's handmade quilts and smelling the rich brown earth with strains of "Amazing Grace" surrounding me. I awakened the next morning with streams of sunlight dancing across my face and onto Granny's soft feather bed.

Outside my window Granny's rendition of "Trust and Obey" tickled my ears as she watered her Elderberry bushes.

Sundays brought special occasions. One of my jobs included setting the table just right with the Sunday dishes, for the visiting preacher would be the guest. Granny fixed fried chicken, jello, black-eyed peas, cornbread and a "rainbow cake." (A white cake, with colored layers) What fun to get to put the food color in each layer.

I have those same Sunday dishes. Granny gave them to me when I married and she filled them with love that still overflows. I well remember the day Granddaddy brought those dishes home to her. She screamed, dried her tears with her apron and shouted: "You are the best man in the world!" Up until that time Granny's dishes had come inside oatmeal boxes. Granny bought a lot of oatmeal and those pink dishes inside the oatmeal boxes were sorely needed.

My grandparents love for each other enabled them to go through the hard years of the depression. Maybe that is why they remain so visible in the theater of my mind. They didn't have much materially, but they had everything spiritually. They stored their treasures up in heaven. What a treasure box it must have been when it was finally opened. That treasure box contained over 65 years of love and sacrifice. That box contained many canceled debts by my grandfather. Farmers couldn't pay for the gasoline it took to farm in times of drought. That box of treasures held many cherished memories of Christmases with happy grandchildren on Granddaddy's knees.

The twinkle in Granddaddy's sky blue eyes made our hearts glad. Seeing and hearing him pray on bowed knees is the topic of conversation whenever my cousins, my brother and I get together. Granddaddy made an impression on our hearts that is sealed forever.

My grandparents have been in their heavenly home for many years...that heavenly home that Granny used to sing about. I will see them again. I will hear Granddaddy laugh again. I will hear Granny sing again and I will be glad. I will be grateful too....grateful that I had grandparents who loved God and who loved me. They left a lifetime impression upon my life.

I honor their memory on this Grandparent's Day.