A SAD DAY FOR FLIPCHIP AND THE POKER PROF

Grandmother never had material wealth, but she had a much more important resource, her faith in God and the inherent good in humanity. I never saw her waver from her beliefs, always having faith in knowing she would receive what was needed. One of her favorite expressions was, “Ask and you shall receive.” My grandmother was rich in the things that she prized above all, her faith and her family’s welfare.

She raised a family of four, three daughters and a son, during the great depression years and would often tell me stories about how life was then. How she would feed the family with nothing more than some flour, maybe a few beans and a little sugar plus a lot of love and faith in a better future. Gathering pigeon eggs to bake a birthday cake for one of the kids, finding wild honey for a special hot biscuit, hand sewing clothes cut from flour sacks, making toys from wood, string, whatever and all the while providing her young brood with a happy, rich home life. She spent her life with a smile and a song, never hesitating to share her meager cache with those less fortunate.

She lived through WWII, sharing with her daughters the terrible anguish of having three young son-in-laws fighting a war for freedom half way around the world. Once again, she never lost her faith. Her prayers are generally credited as the main reason all three returned home from combat safe and unharmed.

My grandmother would spend hours telling me stories of the “old days” when she was a young girl. My most favorite story was her travels with her parents and little brother in a covered wagon on the way to Texas. They spent Christmas camped alongside the trace. I loved to hear her talk about that Christmas when her presents were an orange and some hard candy. It was one of her favorite memories and we would always laugh when she talked about hoarding the orange and candy, making them last for days and days.

My grandmother and grandfather were together for more than fifty years until his death more than thirty years ago. Most of us believed she would soon follow him considering she was now alone and in her seventies, but it just didn’t happen. Her faith endured and kept her a viable life force, a shining example for the rest of us.

Grandmother was an artist with natural talent. She produced hundreds of quilts, all hand sewn, one stitch at a time, not one machine stitch ever. The quilts were constructed in the old way, hand cut from patterns handed down through the years and assembled in a real wood quilting frame using cotton batting. Many of the quilts were free form scenes done in her distinctive primitive style. Many went to collectors and her work is known and prized throughout the area. Every one of her grandkids, great grandkids, great-great grandkids and great-great-great grandkids received a baby quilt soon after coming into the world. All were made with a great deal of love and care. I shall cherish the quilts she made for me and know that she’s as close as the warmth and comfort they now bring me. My grandmother was very much like her unique quilts. She provided comfort to anyone that was suffering and never turned away a person in need of a meal, a helping hand, a few dollars till payday or just a cup of tea and some encouraging words.

I never heard my grandmother swear, ever. Even when those around her were pushing all the buttons she remained true to her beliefs. Grandmother was my first teacher. She taught me how to button a shirt, how to read, to count, to spell, cook a meal, how to know right from wrong and how great it is to enjoy life’s simple pleasures. When I was a little boy the two of us would spend hours watching wasps build a nest…going out before sun was up to see a morning glory open…working in the fruit garden…baking a loaf of bread…how to do a thousand things that make life fun. I was a sickly, high maintenance little kid often spending a lot of time in bed. She would be right there beside me in her chair, dozing in the middle of the night or perhaps wide awake reading to me from one of the hundreds of books we shared. Grandmother taught me my love for reading and the importance of escaping reality, going to places that exists only in our imaginations. She empowered me with the confidence to make my own way in life while remaining honest and proud.

I have lived far away from my grandmother for many years now, but we have always been close and talked often. Now, her spirit will be close to me, comforting me, watching over me, shielding me from harm. I can wrap myself in one of the quilts and know her hands are all around me.