How Influential Are Grandmothers?

Grandmothers bring a whole new definition to the world of maternal love. The right kind of grandmother can add to the emotional well-being of a child. A grandmother can teach about acceptance, patience, wisdom and unconditional love. These memories can have lasting effects on the children whose lives are blessed with the person they'll call, "Grandma".

My grandmother was nobody special. Well, that is, except to me. She had grown up before the depression began. She had worked in factories and had married a man that was challenging on his best day. Her life had been hard. She did not have much in the way of education and very little in material wealth. I was rich though because I had Stella.

Every Sunday, we would travel to a nearby town and pick up Grandmother for Sunday dinner. Inevitably, she would ask us to stop on the way back to our house. She wanted to buy my father, her son, cherry tobacco and us kids some kind of pastry or apple pie.

Once dinner was over, she'd pull out her newest hand-made creation. The crocheted Christmas ornaments, table cloths, blankets or covered coat hangers, just to name a few. During holidays, she'd make home-made pierogies or pastry as part of the family meal. I miss those Sunday dinners with Grandmother.

If I think hard enough, I can actually remember her smell. Isn't it funny how we rely on all of our senses when we remember someone? Especially someone near and dear to our hearts. We never forget the whole of them, their essence or being. After grandmother died, I remember taking out some of those items from my hope chest just to smell them. It brought me great comfort.

My daughter also has been blessed with a grandmother and a great grandmother. Already she is forming her own memories with the woman she calls, "Gramma Anna". Her grandmother lives a state away but sends her messages, cards, special gifts and spends time. The best gift is the time she spends with her. Making home made donuts and reading books. These are special times for my daughter.

If my grandmother was alive today, she would be 106 years old. I still have the things she made me. Some, like the coat hangers, I use and some are kept in that hope chest so that one day, I can bring them out and show my daughter and explain how special they are to me. My grandmother was nobody special but she was mine. I would like to be that grandmother some day. Grandmothers are truly influential in children's lives. The right grandmother can bring a lifetime of warm memories and happiness.