175 Years

-

What do you get when you add one 85th birthday, one 65th wedding anniversary and one 90th birthday?...

A GREAT BIG OLE' PARTY!

Ever since I can remember, summertime meant "Grandmama's house." Ashley and I didn't go to camp; we spent six weeks at Grandmama's in rural Alabama. Our grandparents hail from large, tight-knit families - as do most folks their age, in that part of the country - and they created a large, tight-knit family with six children. When grandchildren started arriving, close relationships with the new members of the clan were forgone conclusions. The challenge was creating those close relationships, since all of the Top 5 Grands lived far away from Fort Deposit.

My grandmama is a strong woman, and she loves her grandchilden, and she wanted us for the summer. Think about that statement for a moment: she wanted us - all five of us - for the summer. There was no question of where would we all sleep, or bathe, or what would we eat, or however would she corral five children and still maintain her sanity, much less continue to run her household. She just did it. And she loved it, and so did Grandaddy - who (to our parents' surprise...) was way more involved with us than he was with our parents.

To say that our summers were fun would be a tremendous understatement. In a word, those summers were magical, and the memories are too personal, too precious and too abundant to share with the internets. My grandparents succeeded in creating close relationships with all of their grandchildren and, still, when we go back to visit it seems like no time has passed. The fact they have enjoyed such long and healthy lives means that our relationships with them have continued to evolve and change and strengthen. For me, personally, being grounded with so much love from a large, extended family is one of the greatest blessings in my life.

On October 18th, the "siblings" threw a party celebrating the milestones Grandaddy and Grandmama reached in 2008: Grandmama turned 85 in May, their 65th wedding anniversary was in June, and Grandaddy turned 90 on October 16th. The siblings outdid themselves, and it is fair to say a great time was enjoyed by all.


Grandaddy and Grandmama

Some of the grandkids...the two girls next to Grandaddy are part of the Top 5, and I have the distinction of being the first grandchild!

Still crazy in love (and totally best friends!) after 65 Years.

Comments

Keysgal@QuietWater said…
Wow, what a great post. I want someone in Fort D to make sure G'mama gets to read that. I know it will warm her heart and give her a lift which she needs right now with G'daddy being "back down" with his health. Not too many people in this world can say they had the kind of summers you Top 5 experienced. You (and we siblings)are blessed. xoxo
October 30, 2008 at 11:47 AM
Anonymous said…
I just phoned GG and read it to her. She thought it was very sweet and she commented on how well you write, Paige. I just love that I am a part of this fabulous family!!!!

Smooches,

Aunt Laura
October 30, 2008 at 6:42 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

This Wasn't Part of the Plan

-
It was bound to happen. In my case it is later rather than sooner (thankfully...) As my doctor wrote in the note for my employer, "Paige is experiencing a complication of pregnancy that requires bedrest for the remainder of her pregnancy." Toxemia. A wicked disease for which the only cure is delivery of a baby. In the meatime, it's Game Over. Do not pass go, do not collect $200. Go straight home, lay on your left side, and do not attempt any activity that will elevate your blood pressure. To-do lists, loose ends and plans be damned. This is so not fun, but it could be worse. MUCH worse. To wit: I could be 26 weeks along, instead of 36 weeks. I could be situated in a job without flexibility, benefits, an understanding boss, and technological resources for telecommuting from home. I could be alone, without a loving and doting baby-daddy to cart me to my "social outings" (i.e. weekly prenatal visits) and keep me company. I could have had a challenging pregnancy fro
Read more

Our Little Skater Boy

-
PG and I are still laughing over this video clip we shot yesterday. Poor Baby Z, I'm sure he had NO idea what he was getting into when he chose us as his parents: No actual children were harmed in the making of this film.
Read more

For Ed

-
Dear Daddy - It has been 12 years since we lost you. Twelve years is a long time, and so many things have happened since that sad Sunday morning; for that is a harsh reality of death: life does go on. Thousands of minutes have passed since 6:09am, December 7, 1997, and yet that particular moment is seared in my memory like only a handful of others. I regret not fully waking up to give you a hug and kiss that Thursday night before you left for the Keys Friday morning. I had been in Tallahassee all week, and you arrived home late after a business dinner. In a half-alert moment, I heard you open the door; but I stayed in bed. I missed you the next morning as you left early for Marathon...no doubt excited for the warm, beautiful weather and the peace of Avenue M. My last memory of you is sitting on the sofa in the living room at Grandmama's watching football with Uncle Tommy Williams, Grandaddy and various other family members. You were laughing, with that twinkle in your eye, and joki
Read more