Grandma by Rhonda Cooley Oct. 27, 2004 As Grandma creeps down the hall, Routines are shadows on the wall, Waiting for the light of day, In her own feeble way.
Make the coffee, stir the eggs, God, please help the ache in her legs, Open the door, let the dogs out, Grandpa can't hear, so she begins to shout.
Breakfast is ready, you old fool, Now come and help me with my stool! Pass the bread and butter please, God Bless You, at Grandpa's sneeze.
Clear the table, settle down, Sitting in her sleeping gown, Read the word of God a while, Close the book with a smile.
Looks to heaven with heavy sighs, Tears are brimming in her eyes, Feeling old and lonesome now, As her back begins to bow.
Sitting in her rocking chair, Feeling there is no one to care, Passing the time of day, In Grandma's own feeble way.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ My Grandma Bookwalter My Grandma Bookwalter was a great influence on my life. She and Grandpa lived on a farm in Ohio. They were such a cute little couple. She was bossy and he was passive. They were hard workers. He took care of the farm animals and she took care of the household. Their generation was comfortable with gender roles and their whole life centered around those roles. It was from watching their example that I learned what hard work it was to maintain a marriage. In fact, I learned what hard work life in general encumbered. On our visits, Grandma would always cook real big family meals. The table looked like the Lord’s Supper. One of our favorite treats was Grandma’s Apple Dumplings! It was hard work, but Grandma set that table, fed the family, and did the dishes three times a day! Each one of these meals had to be blessed with a prayer to the Lord. Grandma’s Christian faith was her foundation. She went to church every Sunday at the Church of the Brethern. When we went with her to church to visit, she made sure the Pastor recognized us. I think the funniest thing about Grandma was her curiosity. Some might call it being nosey, but Grandma kept up with the neighbors across the street. You see, they were called “old orders”, from a different religion. They were known as the “horse and buggy” people. They did not believe in electric, running water, or allowing children to play. Grandma thought it such an injustice for the children. She had a set of binoculars and she would watch to make sure the children were not being abused. When Grandma did see an injustice, she was like a mad rooster raising a racket! Some of her grandchildren thought she was a mean old woman, but I was one of her favorites since I was a red head. Grandma loved my red hair and she had a story to tell about “how” I got my red hair. According to her, it was an answered prayer. Since I was the favorite, the other siblings and cousins would send me to ask Grandma for sugar cubes to catch the pony. We never did catch the pony because “WE” were eating the sugar cubes! It never mattered how many sugar cubes I asked her for, she would just keep giving them to me. Therefore, Grandma always made me feel special. Later in my life, after I married, I kept in touch with Grandma by writing letters. It was always such a treat to get Grandma’s letters telling me all about her daily activities, or what was going on in the church, or what the neighbors were doing. By being a pen pal to my Grandma, I developed a love for reading and writing. It was sad that we lived so far from each other, she was in Ohio and I was in Texas, but the positive attitude about reading and writing that came out of that distance was definitely a plus. Today, since I am a college student, that love of reading and writing is really paying off. I believe Grandma is looking down from heaven and giving me an approving smile. She will always remain a positive presence in my life even though she passed away years ago. |
