My mother blogs and is a much better writer than I am. Her blog today was about Grandmothers. It got me thinking about how the women in a family influence a child and how much they can mean in a child's life.
I had two grandmothers while I was growing up. Gramma Beebe was almost a daily part of my early years. She was quiet and busy. She'd sit on her end of the couch working on a craft project while Grampa sat on his end reading the paper and sipping iced tea. Gramma was always the one that refilled his glass. Some may have seen that as wrong... I always saw it as done out of love for him. She had a servant's heart... gentle and mild. Gram never scolded and always had a soft smile and answer. I wanted to be like her when I grew up.
Nanny was my father's mother. We saw her on holidays mostly even though she lived fairly close. I remember thinking how tough she was and that I was scared of making her angry. I never did see her angry I just for some reason was scared to make her so. She had a gentle side to her I learned when I was a little older. She loved us just as deeply as Gram did. Nanny showed it a little differently is all. She proudly wore the bright green, mis-shapen slippers I crochetted her when I was in 6th grade. She did so because I had made them for her. They weren't something she would have picked for herself by any means but I had made them and therefore she loved them.
I was blessed as well by having aunts in my life. The roll of aunt is an important one as she is able to be more of a friend than mommy can be. My mother didn't have sisters but Gramma did. Her sisters, Aunt Puddy and Aunt Sissy were a large part of my life.
Aunt Puddy attended the same church we did. I spent many a Sunday sitting beside her while she praised the Lord above. She had the quiet faith that I saw my Gram having. Aunt Puddy loved the beach and the sunshine. Many times in the summer we would go to the bay to swim and she would already be there. She always had a smile for us. I lost her while I was in junior high and I felt her loss deeply. Despite having children and grandchildren of her own she always had time for her great neices and nephews.
Aunt Sissy was a little woman with a huge heart. She didn't have any children of her own but loved on all her great neices and nephews. I remember well the year my girl scout meetings were down the road from her house. I would leave my meeting and walk to Aunt Sissy's where one of two things would happen: Dad would pick me up after work OR I would have dinner with her and my cousin Butch. I enjoyed the evenings I was allowed to stay. I would help make dinner by preparing the salad. Aunt Sissy taught me to make radish rosettes. When I went overseas as a teenager, Aunt Sis would write notes and cards to let me know that I was missed. I regret that I wasn't as faithful about writing as she was. She kept each letter that I did send though. Gram found them when Aunt Sis passed on. I have several things that she gave me while she was alive. I cherish those items because they are what I have left to remember a wonderful woman.
I hope that when my neices are old and greying like I am now, they will think of me with the fondness that I think of these older women who were such a part of making me the person I am now.
