We have been fortunate, my husband and I, to have our grandmothers in our lives into our adult years. Our kids have been fortunate to grow to an age where they remember, vividly, three of their four great-grandmothers.
My father’s mother went home to Jesus not long after she watched the calendar turn to the year 2000. My mother’s mother slipped away in 2006, before we expected her to go, while we were still preparing ourselves to say good-bye. Now my husband’s maternal grandmother waits at the threshold of heaven’s gate. And again, we grieve. This time from far away.
We will miss gathering at Grandma’s house when we visit. We will miss the strength of a woman who endured the sudden loss of her husband and raised her three girls alone. We will miss her laughter. But most of all, we will miss her cooking.
A truly creative cook, Grandma loved us all with her food. How thankful we are that several years ago Aunt Sheri complied all Grandma’s recipes into spiral bound books for each family! From that book my daughter made her first cheesecake, the one that helped finance her trips to Africa. The one that fueled her confidence in her ability to cook by taking 3rd place at the State Fair.
But my daughter isn’t Grandma’s only culinary legacy. Grandma’s daughters both enjoy being in the kitchen. As does my sister-in-law. And my daughter. And another of Grandma’s great-granddaughters. So even as we prepare to say good-bye, we know Grandma will live on in our gatherings around the table, in the love in which the food is prepared and received.
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