Forever Thankful
When my grandmother would get mad at us, the grand kids, usually for saying something stupid or doing something stupid, she would say that we would miss her when she was gone. At the time we paid no attention and just thought that she was saying that so we would behave.
Little did we know at the time that she was not just saying that to make us behave. That one day that would come true. We would miss her when she left this earth more then we ever dreamed of. She was the glue that held the family together. Her house was the house that we would all go to for every holiday on the calendar and in between. We ate her gumbo on New Years, her turkey on Thanksgiving, her ham on Easter and Christmas and cakes, and cookies, oatmeal, grits and so many things in between. She never judged you and she always had something good to say even when you were "acting a fool" as she would put it. She used to say that I could be anything I wanted to be. One day I was singing the theme to the T.V. show Good Times, back in the day and Nana swore that I could be a singer. I was not good at all. But,in her eyes she thought I was. When I was in the 4th grade and we had to do collages on what we wanted to be when we got older I did mine on medicine. I told her I wanted to be a doctor in spite of the fact I hated math and the sight of blood. She said that if I wanted to do it I could and probably started a college fund for medical school. I changed my mind a million times over and each time Nana would say that I could do it and be it.
I used to love going to her house or spending the night and in the early morning I would smell the coffee brewing in the kitchen. The smell of coffee is one of my favorite smells because Nana used to make it every morning and it would fill the air in the whole house. I was never a coffee drinker in spite of the fact that she would give me some in a tiny tea cup with more cream then anything. I could barely taste the coffee. But, I wanted a taste and she gave me a tiny taste.
I would get so annoyed in the high school years when she would ask me who my boyfriend was. Then she would tell me to invite him over. I had one boyfriend in high school for 3.5 years and I barely wanted him to come to my house. My mom was not the most friendliest person to be around and she didn't like too many people and of course she barely tolerated him. So, I never took him to meet Nana. I sort of regret it now. I think that they would have gotten along just fine. She always wanted to give me surprise parties too. I would always find out and tell her not to do it so she didn't and we end up having cake and ice cream together.
Thanksgiving at Nana's house was not always the best times. My step grandfather usually would have some kind of argument with his mom, when she was alive, and stomp upstairs in the middle of carving the turkey. For years he would do that and for years we would wait to eat until he came back downstairs. My cousins and I were at the kids table and really didn't care much. Nana would give us something to do like color or tell her stories until he came back.
Nana passed away in 2005 and she was right as I sit here on Thanksgiving Eve making pies and yams for my little family I think about her and I think about her smile, her house, the big table and the kids table that none of us wanted to leave even when we were no longer kids because Nana made it fun, her word echo in my head and I sincerely do miss her now that she is gone. I miss her and I miss the good times we had with her.
This year like last year there will be another empty seat at the table, my brother's seat. I miss him too. But, I am forever thankful for all the years I got to spend with both of them.
Little did we know at the time that she was not just saying that to make us behave. That one day that would come true. We would miss her when she left this earth more then we ever dreamed of. She was the glue that held the family together. Her house was the house that we would all go to for every holiday on the calendar and in between. We ate her gumbo on New Years, her turkey on Thanksgiving, her ham on Easter and Christmas and cakes, and cookies, oatmeal, grits and so many things in between. She never judged you and she always had something good to say even when you were "acting a fool" as she would put it. She used to say that I could be anything I wanted to be. One day I was singing the theme to the T.V. show Good Times, back in the day and Nana swore that I could be a singer. I was not good at all. But,in her eyes she thought I was. When I was in the 4th grade and we had to do collages on what we wanted to be when we got older I did mine on medicine. I told her I wanted to be a doctor in spite of the fact I hated math and the sight of blood. She said that if I wanted to do it I could and probably started a college fund for medical school. I changed my mind a million times over and each time Nana would say that I could do it and be it.
I used to love going to her house or spending the night and in the early morning I would smell the coffee brewing in the kitchen. The smell of coffee is one of my favorite smells because Nana used to make it every morning and it would fill the air in the whole house. I was never a coffee drinker in spite of the fact that she would give me some in a tiny tea cup with more cream then anything. I could barely taste the coffee. But, I wanted a taste and she gave me a tiny taste.
I would get so annoyed in the high school years when she would ask me who my boyfriend was. Then she would tell me to invite him over. I had one boyfriend in high school for 3.5 years and I barely wanted him to come to my house. My mom was not the most friendliest person to be around and she didn't like too many people and of course she barely tolerated him. So, I never took him to meet Nana. I sort of regret it now. I think that they would have gotten along just fine. She always wanted to give me surprise parties too. I would always find out and tell her not to do it so she didn't and we end up having cake and ice cream together.
Thanksgiving at Nana's house was not always the best times. My step grandfather usually would have some kind of argument with his mom, when she was alive, and stomp upstairs in the middle of carving the turkey. For years he would do that and for years we would wait to eat until he came back downstairs. My cousins and I were at the kids table and really didn't care much. Nana would give us something to do like color or tell her stories until he came back.
Nana passed away in 2005 and she was right as I sit here on Thanksgiving Eve making pies and yams for my little family I think about her and I think about her smile, her house, the big table and the kids table that none of us wanted to leave even when we were no longer kids because Nana made it fun, her word echo in my head and I sincerely do miss her now that she is gone. I miss her and I miss the good times we had with her.
This year like last year there will be another empty seat at the table, my brother's seat. I miss him too. But, I am forever thankful for all the years I got to spend with both of them.
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