My grandmother always taught me, “If you don’t have a home, family, and church, you don’t have anything.” ~Jennifer Hudson
See the beautiful grandmothers here. At my book event today, I asked the grandmothers to raise their hands and almost everybody there did. Well, there were a couple of guys in the back who didn’t. But I love grandmothers. Often when I’m at a book fair or festival, young people will stop at my table and buy my books for their grandmothers. While I happen to think my books are good reading for anybody, I’m fine with grandmothers reading them. And I was fine with having so many wonderful grandmothers come to my book event today. Thanks to all of you and to the rest of you who wanted to come, but too many miles or other circumstances kept you away. Maybe I’ll have another book party in the summer when Small Town Girl is released.
Now on to a couple of grandmother stories. The first one is from Diana.
remember her walking over 20 miles one way to work to support her family. The laundry
was done by a wringer washer and I would get to help hang the clothes up on the
line. She smelled of peppermint and in the spring her home smelled of fresh
lilacs which is also my most favorite thing. When I smell those things I think
of her. I have a picture of her, probably one of the last ones taken of her,
sitting and reading her bible. O, it is so precious to me. Loved my grandma B so
much.
our ABC’s. Only her version was we had to learn them backwards. I must say I
never got it. She went to be with the Lord in 1998. But the day she died I had
visited her. I think it was the holy spirit that told be to visit her that day.
For it was our last time together. Now grandma hadn’t really talked at all much in
the last couple years of her life. But this day while I was visiting, she said
Diana, have you learned you ABC’s yet? I said sorry I had not. She said ok let’s
do this one more time. I said ok. So she starts to say them and she said
them the right way not backwards. My grandma had alzheimer’s for a lot of
years. So I know God was there for her to have one good day with us. My grandma
B went to be with the Lord that night. I miss her. But I’m always reminded of
her in the smell of lilacs and her peppermint candy.
Isn’t that the best thing about grandmothers? How they make us smile as we remember. I’m sure Sue wishes she could do some more navigating with her grandmother now. So many of you were fortunate enough to live close to a grandmother or to have one of them live with your family for a while. Patricia remembers going to visit her grandmother.
on the next farm so it was our custom to run across the field multiple times a
day to visit. Nany taught us to make cookies, told us stories, and watched tv
with us. She died at the age of 93 in 1990. I think that I will miss her for
the rest of my life.