Tribute to Granny’s First 100 Years!, Part I

I want to write this story as a blessing for my maternal grandmother. She turned 100 years old in June, 2007, and for a long time I have told myself I should be recording her and her stories. I wish I had. There were so many of them. All of them were laced with love and acceptance. 

Oh, yes, she can be very stubborn, and well deserved, I might add. However, she has lived her life being the kind of person not many could compete with. She minded her own business and was never a gossiper. She worked very hard as a Registered Nurse for well over 50 years, and raised 6 children while doing so. I can remember getting a little twist on the back of my ear if I misbehaved...that, or a pinch on the back of my arm...Ouch! That really wasn’t so bad, as a matter of fact, I know it only took her one time for me to straighten up at any given moment. She has osteoporosis, and sometimes walks with a cane which makes her even more adorable.

My granny has always been a Christian and enjoyed helping others. She would volunteer down at the church’s local thrift—or free clothing for the needy—shop. I remember going to church with her sometimes and she always loved to spend her time with the children there. As I got older, I enjoyed a few Bible studies with her, but those were few and far between. She never really preached to people, but her Christian beliefs were intricately entwined in her very essence. She definitely wore Christianity well.

I remember when I was around 14 years old I stayed the night at her house one weekend and she totally caught me off guard. I was a somewhat modest child that shied away from nakedness and didn’t like to dress in front of anyone. This time in particular, my grandma was taking a bath and she started calling out my name. “Tammy! Tammy! Could you please come here a minute?” I panicked because I didn’t dare go in there—afraid of what I might accidentally see. She was about 69 years old at the time. I figured she must have forgotten to take in a towel, so I grabbed one from the linen closet and barely opened the door to drop the towel in. She said, “No, Tammy! Come in here, I want to show you something!”