My favorite childhood memory

One of my Facebook friends posted a question yesterday that caught my attention. It was, what is your favorite childhood memory? Not having a very happy childhood it took me some time before I came up with the answer, doing things with my grandmother.

Her reply was, "I can feel your love for her".

My maternal grandmother and step-grandfather were the people who taught me my values. I had a great deal of respect for both of them. My grandmother, better known as Nana was the person who taught me the Lord's Prayer, made sure I had piano and dance lessons and generally made me feel special. My younger brother and I spent many summers under her roof. I remember confiding to her things I would never have told my mother. She was never critical and always validated my feelings even when they were silly.

I loved helping her cook. Perhaps she was the one who woke up my enjoyment of trying new recipes. I especially remember her rhubarb pies and applesauce. Even today when I am peeling hard boiled eggs I can hear her saying, "Don't crack them too much or you won't be able to get the shell off". Another one of her admonishments was, "You don't hate anyone".

She always had flowers in her yard, especially roses, which today are my favorite flowers. My grandfather always brought her a cut rose every morning that they bloomed. Perhaps that's where I learned that one rose says so much more than an entire armful.

One particular memory when I was young stands out in my mind. She had written a bunch of checks to pay bills and asked me to go with her as she drove around town dropping them off. I got to hold on to them and hand her whatever one she needed. I felt like her secretary that day.

Another one that stands out was when she was installed as the presiding officer in the Order of Eastern Star. My mother had made her formal and she also made a matching one for me. I was probably around 8-10 years old. The dresses had a ton of lavender lazy daisy flowers made from yarn, hand tacked to the skirts. I assume my grandmother made them because she was always knitting or crocheting. I felt very important that day as she introduced me and the rest of her family. Her love of Masonic organizations led me to later become a member and much later a presiding officer of the Order of Rainbow for Girls and Job's Daughters. I believe it made her poud that I carried on the tradition.

It looks as if I was right. My favorite childhood memory is doing things with my grandmother. Even though she left this place called earth in 1984 I still feel close to her spirit. I wouldn't be at all surprised if she is one of my guides.