Whatever Happened to Old Mother Hubbard?

Do kids these days hear the tried and true stories that children of generations past heard at bedtime or while sitting in their grandmother's lap? Do parents and grandparents still read to kids? What do you think of when/if you see a picture of Old Mother Hubbard? Do you know who that is?

The other night at supper, the waitress seemed genuinely surprised that a couple of us were grandmothers. Okay, I can understand that. We didn't have our hair up in a bun with grey wispys blowing about our wrinkled faces as we stood wringing our hands on our aprons. Admittedly, I do wear "sensible" shoes, but really, what does a grandmother look like these days?

In my day, (snicker) a grandmother was someone who got excited when she saw me. She enveloped me in her arms and shoved food in front of me. Grani was always teaching me; ABC's, counting by 5's, counting money, how to sew, how to cook, the books of the Bible. I remember her having me walk around with a book on my head and checking the liquid in the measuring cup at eye level. She tried so hard to teach me everything she knew.

I've got my ABC's down, but not backward. Counting money came pretty easy. Sewing-I do but not like she did, same with cooking. I've never been able to walk without a wobble, and I still have to work on the books of the Bible. She has given me two Bibles, one the day I was baptized and one the first Christmas I was on my own. I use the second one every day. Inside the cover she wrote, "To Diana, my First born Grandchild whom I love. 'Study to show thyself approved unto God.' (I'm still trying) Grani." She is gone from here now, but she's forever in my heart.

I didn't realize what a "toolbox" my grandmother had given me. She taught me more by just living her life than she did with her efforts of direction. After my grandfather died I realized she had taught me how to love someone that's hard to love. She showed me how to be generous, selfless and forgiving. Grani exuded patience and she never asked for anything, but before I even knew what I needed, she was there handing it to me.

Grani taught me how to worship. She always had a song, humming, whistling or singing aloud. Being next to her as she sang, blessed my heart. She didn't just sing, she knew the hymns and she sang them from her heart, to her God. She loved Him and she trusted Him to give her what she needed. And He did.

She taught me to love the Lord unabashedly. Every Christmas she made a cake to celebrate Jesus' birthday and we'd sing Happy Birthday to Him with lit candles and all. Even when we would make fun of the tradition, she never said anything. Standing under the Happy Birthday banner she'd hung, she would light the candles on the cake she had so lovingly decorated with "Happy Birthday Jesus" in butter cream icing, then start the song. We would join in and she would smile then start cutting pieces for everyone.

Serving the Lord was in her fiber. She'd drag me to nursing homes and have me play the piano and sing for the people there. Grani made hundreds of boxes to send overseas loaded with toothbrushes, dolls, crayons, pencils. The woman gave away all the money she had.

And she taught me how to pray. I'm almost 50 years old and every night I still have to start my bedtime prayer with "Now I lay me down to sleep..."

February 1, 2016 Heaven reclaimed one of it's own. My Grani, went home. Ironically, it doesn’t sound right to say that she “died”. I don’t feel like she did. I can’t say, “Rest In Peace” because she’s not gonna rest! That lady is rejoicing and singing and dancing! She’s living eternally in the Heaven she lived her life to see. I’m thankful. I’m grateful and I’m happy. Maybe even a tad bit jealous.

I may not look like a grandmother to some, but I am over the moon happy that I am. If I could teach my grandkids a third of the good stuff my Grani taught me I'll be doing well. But I pray, because she taught me to, thank goodness that one stuck. I pray that the goodness that she poured out to me, and everyone around her, pours from me as well. If I need to wear an old apron and put my hair in a bun, I'm willing to do that too! But to me, "Grandmother" is more than what you see on the outside. It's being a Grand-Mother. Showing love and life to everyone around you. You don't even have to be a blood relative to be one, just have open arms and grace enough to share warmth and love to others. And feed them! Even if it's from a Buffet somewhere. Grani loved those too.