Things My Grandma Taught Me About Life
I was lucky enough to have two beautiful grandmothers in my life, my Grandma, and my husbands’ Maw Maw. Both of these ladies lived well into their 90’s and left behind a legacy of pure love and happiness. Whenever our family starts to reminisce about our childhood: the traditions, the things we learned from our grandma, and the simplicity of the way life used to be, I realize how much the world could learn from the way these women lived their lives. The way life was “back then” was a moment in time that will forever be remembered with much admiration and a time that we all wish we could go back to. In today’s world with all the hustle and bustle and the over scheduled, over stimulated way that most of us live, we forget that there was a time when people lived simpler, slower, and happier.
Traditions
Some of the traditions that my grandma started with our family, we still cherish and continue today. For example, every Christmas, instead of buying all of the grandchildren gifts (there were a lot of us), our grandma would give each of us the same amount of money. I can’t even remember how much it was (it didn’t matter), but we would each go spend the money on something we wanted and wrap it up, before Christmas Eve, and then on the night of the gathering, she would watch each one of us open our gift from her, and she would laugh and beam over every single gift. A simple concept, but we all loved it and loved how much she enjoyed allowing us to pick what we wanted from her. It naturally got to the point where we all picked out something special that would be a keepsake for us to hold on to forever. Then, after everyone opened their gifts, she started this tradition of having a paper fight with all of the wrapping paper. Inevitably, we would all end up turning to her and making her the main person attacked in the fight, she loved being the star of the show! After all, she started this mess!
Meals
The best meal that my grandma used to make was called Hash😊 Now before anyone starts thinking this article is about to turn illegal, let me assure you hash is a totally legal way to put a new spin on a traditional roast. Grandma would make her roast with potatoes and carrots and when it was nice and hot, she would mash all of it together until it turned into a roast hash. We would then put it on po-boy bread and have a delicious messy hash sandwich. She also taught us to put potato chips on our sandwich to give it a nice crunch. Oh, the little things…..
Birthdays
Birthdays at MawMaws were always the best. Maw Maw had a way of making the cutest, most perfect dollar pancakes in the world and even if you say you’d like 3, she will give you 10. Everything was served on special little platters, even if you were there on any regular day, she always wanted you to feel special so she would use her special dishes, cups, serving pieces, and bake you an angel food cake, just because. Anytime I would bring my daughters to her house for a visit, you could see how much she enjoyed cooking for us and visiting with us. She saved so many things from when her children were little and would pull out little things for my girls to play with and enjoy. She had a rocking chair that PawPaw made, and the kids would sit and rock for hours. She would also take out numerous coloring papers that she collected for months from the daily newspaper. Whenever we were leaving her house and we would start to pick up anything that we took out, she would say “Don’t pick it up, Hun, it reminds me that you were here, leave it out.” She loved visits from her great grandchildren and would do anything to hold onto the memories. My kids would be entertained for hours playing with the simplest things in her house, listening to stories from her childhood, and enjoying the sweet laughter of her memories. No television, no radio, no fancy toys, it was always just a joyful peaceful time at MawMaw’s house.
Simplicity
This is a concept that is lost in our society. But one of the biggest things I remember about my grandma is that she lived a simple fulfilling life. She thrived on a schedule and loved a little of everything in moderation. My mom always said that she ate on a schedule, with breakfast at 8, lunch at noon, dinner at 5, and a nighttime snack at 8, which usually consisted of Ovaltine in milk (if you have never tried that, you should), and a few little butter ring cookies, that we used to put on each of our fingers before eating, of course. She did her laundry on a certain day, kept the house in good condition, cooked home cooked meals, did the grocery shopping once a week, she would “rest her eyes” in the afternoon, and never missed her “story.” When we would visit her every Saturday for my mom to do her hair, all the cousins (all different ages) would make up games to play on the front porch, in the front yard, and all around the house. We entertained ourselves and happily played for hours pretending to be bank tellers, boxers, dancers, etc. No video games, no American Girl dolls, no motorized convertibles, just our imagination and endless pretend play, and we loved every second of it. Grandma’s house was purely magical and a moment in time we will always cherish.
One of the most special things I remember about Maw Maw is how much she enjoyed organizing everything and making everything beautiful. I used to say everything she touched turned to gold because everything she did, she did it 100%. She could be giving you a bag full of peppermints and she’s have it wrapped in the most lovely way. You always knew she was at your house, because the next time you opened up a drawer or a cabinet, everything was organized in a way that you have never seen. She loved teaching the girls how to fold clothes and towels in certain ways, and the best ways to pack. Only MawMaw could turn folding laundry into a fun activity. She would love to sit on the floor and play Barbies with my girls and she would help dress them and fix their hair, and by the time it was over, every Barbie was ready for the runway with a new hairstyle and the best outfit. MawMaw had a way of making every experience feel special and she knew how to make the simplest things feel exceptional. MawMaw was always put together from her head to her toes, but don’t be fooled, if there was a snake in the yard, even in her pretty dress and stockings, she would grab the garden hoe, and chop that snake in half. “Step back Hun, I got this.” She was small and dainty, but strong and bold, the best way to be.
Happiness and Laughter
MawMaw knew how to laugh at herself and this is the most remarkable characteristic anyone could ask for. Chicken and Dumplings was one of her signature meals and we looked forward to the phone call telling us she was making a big pot of it; we would eagerly accept the invitation. One particular time, we sat down to enjoy the best chicken and dumplings bowl and shortly after digging in, I realized at about the exact time Maw Maw also realized, she forgot to put the chicken in it. “Hun, I think I forgot to put the chicken in” and we all immediately started laughing, including her. We laughed until we cried, and quite honestly, the dumplings were still delicious! She didn’t get upset, she didn’t make a new batch, we just went with it and enjoyed the laugh. To this day, we say our favorite meal was her Chicken and Dumplings, minus the chicken.
Grandma used to laugh at everything and anything she could. Happiness, laughter, and silliness is the most memorable quality my grandma had. She could make the best of any situation and got a kick out of herself when she made silly mistakes. For example, one Christmas, one of the great great grandchildren was needing assistance at the dinner table and she was trying to get the mother’s attention, but she had no idea which great great grandchild this was, so she was laughing and calling out “Who is this child’s mother!!!!!????” We all cracked up realizing how hard it was for her to remember everyone’s name when we were all together, after all, she was well into her 90’s. To this day, even though all these grandchildren are grown, we try to use this phrase as much as possible. We never heard a mean thing come out of her mouth; we can only wish to be as genuinely good as her.
Silly traditions, happiness, laughter and a simple way of life equals a life worth emulating. Grandmas, MawMaws, GiGi’s, MiMi’s, Grammy’s, Nana’s … whatever you call them, they are the ones we remember with fondness, with excitement, eagerness to talk about and reminisce. Whether it is memories of their calmness, their peacefulness, their happiness, their silliness, their southern hospitality, or their pure and genuine love, memories of these women keep our hearts full and our family traditions alive. If you are lucky enough to have a grandmother in your life, cherish every moment, because they simply don’t make them like that anymore!
