My Grammy

There are little things that I remember about her growing up.

Like how I used to crawl up into her lap as a child and touch the soft wrinkles on her face and tell her how her skin felt "fluffy."

I remember her gentle voice reading me my favorite book, The Giving Tree.

Packing up my little red suitcase for my overnight stays where we always did something special together like baking pies or cookies. To this day her pies are something I still aspire to.

We used to sit together at her kitchen table carefully going through her "antique" paperdolls. She taught me how to be gentle with the old paper toys and she delighted in watching me squeal over the cute dress I would try on each doll that was found amongst the pages of the old book she kept them in.

I used to watch her dry her hair and put her make up on while running my fingers across her fancy nick-nacks and telling her how one day I'd love to have "the dancing lady." A beautiful and intricate dancing figurine of a woman in a beautiful ruffly dress. She gave her to me when I got married and I cried. It will forever remain an heirloom and precious to me.

There are countless times of prayer and reading of The Daily Bread. I loved listening to her pray and read the Bible. It sounded lovelier when she did it.

I remember her box of old costume jewelry of sparkly clip-on earrings and long necklaces full of faux rubies and emeralds and diamonds and amethysts. I loved putting them on and gazing at myself in the mirror and thought how rich I looked. Dress up was a fun game to play with Grammy.

How even though they have moved a thousand times over the years, her home still always smells like sugar cookies and Nivea cream. It's sweet and inviting and puts you at ease the moment you walk in. I love the smell of her house.

My Grammy loves the Lord. She faithfully prays and reads the word every single day. She is a living testimony of a Godly woman.

I remember how it felt to see her hold Tommy, her great-grandson for the first time.

As I've grown the memories we have made together have changed. We talk more than anything, at least once or twice a week. It's been too long since we've baked a batch of cookies or gone through those old paperdolls. I think maybe it's time to do some of that again.

There is much to remember about Grammy. Thousands of memories to pull from over the years. I am beyond blessed to have had her in my life and my story wouldn't look the same without her beauty all over its pages. She has invested in my heart and has walked through every part of my life with me. I am humbled at God's goodness when I think about the impact she has had on so many parts of my heart throughout the years.

Today Grammy turns 75. A celebration in her honor is planned for this Saturday.
There is much to honor and celebrate for this extraordinary woman whom I love with all of my heart.

I love you my sweet Grammy.