In my past talk-show-watching-days, I saw an interview with a young audience member who had written her own obituary. Having written down what she wanted others to say about her after her death, she planned to spend the rest of her days living in a way to make that happen.
That really struck a chord with me and got me thinking. What do I want others to say about me after I have taken my last breath? If it is to be good things, I had better start living that way now. I am so lucky because I have had wonderful examples to follow.
Being raised in a Christian family is something for which I am immensely grateful. As kids, my sisters and I always knew what we and our parents would be doing Sunday morning, Sunday night, and Wednesday night. We would be in church. Even though there were times we wanted to stay home and watch Flipper and The Wonderful World of Disney, it wasn’t really an option. Going to church was what we did. It was also what our grandparents did. And that brings me to my grandmothers and the legacy they have left not only to me, but also to each of their grandchildren.
My grandmas both lived close to us and were a huge part of my life. I always thought of Grandma Marrs as my “country” grandma. As a young married woman, she had a couple of unfortunate incidents in her driveway, and she never drove again. Because of this, she was almost always at home. A pink bowl always sat on the kitchen table filled with scrumptious oatmeal cookies-each with 2 precisely placed chocolate chips. Her house always had a lingering smell of fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and gravy, my favorite Sunday foods. Grandma always had time to play a game of Old Maid or to read a book to me. She must have worked 24/7-she even made yummy homemade ketchup-but I remember her best sitting in “her” chair with a stack of books beside her. Her favorite book was her tattered and worn Bible.
Grandma Marrs taught me many valuable lessons, but the one I consider most important was to read my Bible. She read hers from Genesis to Revelation every year and her love for the scriptures was very evident. We had many interesting discussions about the Lord and I am forever grateful for her example.
On the other hand, I considered Grandma Spencer as my “city” grandma, which is a hoot since she lived in Yale! Grandma was widowed twice-The first time when her children were very small and as a result, she became a very independent woman. She raised her kids alone and seemed pretty fearless to me. She drove everywhere, including to St. Louis in her 80’s. For years, she even wrote the Yale Press , which appeared in several area newspapers. Her no-bake cookies and hot rolls were legendary.
She also loved the Lord and showered that love on everyone she met. She taught me that a Christian must live her faith, and she did. The woman was never home. I wish I knew how many visits she made to the nursing homes and hospitals. There is no way to know how many hangers she crocheted and gave away. Her hands were never still since she was always “doing” for someone. She was a big hugger, and I would love to feel her arms around me right now.
Since I am fortunate enough to be a grandma myself, I want to leave a legacy of love for my own grandchildren. I hope some day they can say…..I know my grammie loved the Lord and she loved me!
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