Sunday we had the pleasure of celebrating the 89^th birthday of our family matriarch, my grandmother. Cousins, aunts, uncles, brothers, sisters, children, parents were all in attendance. My grandmother is a beautiful woman who relies soley on the Lord for her companion. Her husband left the family when my mother was 2 months old and my grandmother then raised the five children alone. She never remarried. She says that her first husband is her only husband and never dated.

She is a lady in the truest sense of the word. She lovingly calls her children and grandchildren often. Most times passing on “cousin” news. Who had a baby, who went where, who’s doing what, etc. This weekend mostly all of the cousins were in attendance. It was a surprise party. With home cooking, down home country stuff. It was beautiful.

What I wasn’t ready for was the flood of emotions that came upon me when Grandmoma walked in that door. I had not seen Grandmoma since the weekend before Mother’s day. She was walking with a walker that day. She had a fall last year and broke her hip and that was a very emotional time as well for our family. She has always been a strong and healthy woman. Then she began to lose her eyesight and then the fall…I was not ready to see a frail woman being led in with a cane. A whole sea of emotions washed over me…memories and thoughts that I have never held in my heart before.

Where had the years gone? It seems like only yesterday I was that little girl jumping on her couch. Holding her hand as she walked me to nursery school, her saying, “you walk on the inside, I will walk on the outside.” The early morning awakenings then going downstairs and her singing to me, “Here she comes, its Miss America…..”. The biscuits with honey. The tuna patties. The hot dog and hamburger dinner every Wednesday night. Spending the weekends with her watching late night tv on Saturday. Riding to church on Sunday’s and her handing me a certs. At church she would always have to tell me to quit fidgetting!

Here she was being led in, albeit grudgingly but still…There aren’t many more years or opportunities to make memories with her. She lives about two hours away from me and I don’t get out there as often as I would like. I regret that….

She called today. We talked about the party. We talked about the baby. We talked about the weather. Sometimes, in my rush of life I don’t always relish in our conversations. Today, I did. Today I wanted to make another memory. I wanted to hang on her every word. I even slowed down and let the littles talk to her. They generally don’t like the phone, but here lately they have taken a real interest.

Whatever the thing you find to do, do it as unto the Lord. Take stock and make memories. That is what life is made of.