How do you love a child? How do you become the memory that makes someone smile forever? Does your life exemplify your ethical beliefs and encourage children to follow you?
There is no better honor than to answer the above questions with a resounding “Yes!” The greatest gift we have as adults is children. To love a child and have the love returned is a blessing that is beyond all the riches in the world, period.
John was three and watching his favorite grandmother make her biscuits. He watched as the flour hit the dough board and dusted the air. She was talking to him the entire time and laughed as the white powder settled on his eyelashes.
Little John had great difficulty with the name ‘Grandma.’ Since he was born with six grandmothers who desired to be called Grandma, he would get these ladies easily confused. His two great-great-grandmothers, two great-grandmothers, and two grandmothers all lived in the same small Tennessee town! He was the first grandchild, and it was asking too much to remember them all. Out of all those grandmothers, he only had one living grandfather.
Suddenly, while standing beside his grandmother in her kitchen, he thought of a sound solution. John’s coal-brown eyes opened wide, and as he tugged his grandmother’s apron, he declared, “You gonna’ be Grandpa!”
“John, I am Grandma, and he is your Granddaddy.” She replied as she pointed to her husband.
“Nope, you Grandpa and he Granddaddy!” John emphatically stated as he stomped away.
From that moment on, nine grandchildren and 18 great-grandchildren would forever call her Grandpa.
Her name would also be representative of unconditional love. A love that allowed her to be called whatever these children wanted her name to be. Grandpa didn’t just say, “I love you,” she always showed it in countless, extraordinary ways. Many people have crossed my path in life, but without question, I have never known anyone quite like my grandmother, Grandpa, Nancy Melissa Pugh.
There was nothing she adored more than children. And we all knew that to be a fact for those of us who were in her life. When she played or talked with us, she became our age. She even allowed us to play with the wrinkles on her worn hands and poke fun at her false teeth until she purchased new ones. This humorous woman laughed at herself and was never embarrassed by us.
I recall many of my cousins and me being in her small home at one time. She would play games with us all day, fish with us, tell stories, and stay up long past her bedtime.
As tired as she was and before joining my sleeping grandfather, she would sit at the end of the hall and read her Bible under dim light. She taught us all the meaning of priorities by putting God first.
When she played board games, she would never let any of us undeservedly win. By doing so, we began understanding the principles of fairness and honesty.
We all stayed with Grandpa many times in our lives. And when visiting, she would ensure she had everyone’s favorite food in the house. She cooked until her old apron was soiled and dark to show that we were each special and unique in her eyes. Through her actions, we learned the meaning of love.
Her garden bloomed in the summer with white gladiolas reaching up toward the sun. We learned by watching her that beauty is born from toil and care.
It is hard for me to write all that she was and did in her 97 years on earth. I could fill a book with words and stories about this remarkably kind human being.
Grandpa’s laughter continues to fill my heart today. I often feel her hands calm my soul while her spirit still wraps me in her unconditional love and comfort.
We bring our children into our world, hoping they will be perfect and unique. Instead, we need to be as close as we can to unique and perfect for them. To make a child feel loved and know we would rather be with them than do anything else is honoring God’s precious gift.
Years ago, I could not decide what to give Grandpa for Christmas. She had a history of gifts going into her hope chest to save for an ambiguous rainy day. I instead wrote a column about her and submitted it to her county newspaper. The Tennessee newspaper printed the story using an entire page with the title in bold lettering, “MERRY CHRISTMAS, GRANDPA!”
The name my brother gave her all those years ago was now a bold headline, which was as it should be.
“And her children will arise up and call her blessed,” were the words cross-stitched on a sampler framed and hanging above her bed when she left this earth.
No truer words were ever written.
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Author’s Note: This story is the first story originally written in 2015 about Grandpa. She has inspired me to write many more tales regarding the remarkable life lessons she taught by how she lived life. She passed away in 1994 at the age of 97, but she remains a joy and inspiration in my soul.
