I had the honor of calling her Grandma.
You see, she wasn't my biological grandmother, but many people didn't realize that. She treated me as her own. She was good friends with my Nana and then my mom grew up with her kids and I ended up working with Grandma and her family at their family business, Farmer Boy's Market, for 10 years. When customers would come in, she would tell them that I am her grand daughter. She said she always wanted to have a red-headed kid; I was honored to be her "red-headed" grand daughter.
As I sit here and write this, I still picture her sitting in the raised door of the market over to the right when you walk in chopping okra. She has on her plaid pants with a t-shirt and her tennis shoes. She has a box lid in her lap full of okra and she's chopping away. Next to her chair is a small glass with Dr. Pepper poured in it. The Dr. Pepper bottle must be recycled afterwards. NOTHING and I repeat NOTHING was ever wasted or thrown away. She would use the bruised produce to make jelly or jam. If it was too bruised to make into something else, she would put it on her compost pile for her garden. She had the greenest thumb I had ever seen!
She was a hard worker.
She ran Farmer Boy's for 52 years, 6 days a week. When I was younger I didn't understand why on her "day off" she still would come to work. I remember asking her one day why she didn't just go buy the produce and then hire the selling part out. She told me that people want to see who brings in the produce and talk to them. After all the years I worked there, I realize it was true. She was a friend to everyone. Every single person who went to the market knew who Mae was.
She's fought cancer for a few months. In August of 2009 she was diagnosed with melanoma on her lungs. The doctors seemed hopeful.
Me, Caleb and Parker went to the farm last November and Grandma was there with us. We had a great time together- she pulled Parker in the wagon, worked in her garden, mowed the yard, put the Christmas decorations out, had Caleb clean the mule and I cleaned the front porch off. We spent our evenings out by the fire. We played Chinese Checkers and she taught us to play Farkle.
I noticed that something wasn't right with Grandma. She wasn't as talkative as she normally was. I noticed when we were playing Farkle that she couldn't quite do the math.
It all made sense after her girls had taken her to the emergency room after Thanksgiving and the doctors discovered a tumor on her brain.
I'm thankful she was there to share that trip with us. We have pictures of her and Parker at the farm. I mailed her some on Mother's Day. Linda told me the other day, those were the last pics they had of Grandma at the farm.
I know she's loving heaven. I want to be selfish and say that she should have stayed on earth a little longer, but I can't. I know she's having fun up there. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I will see her again. I also know that she would not want us to grieve her, but to rejoice with her that she's home. She's pain free and with the many who have gone on before her.
When I'm called on to be with Jesus, she will have a homemade meal waiting on me.
Grandma- can I go ahead and put my order in? I want some homemade biscuits and some of your apple butter and also some peach jelly. Can you also have some peaches on the stove cooking for jelly? I'll eat some of those too. I'd also like an ice cold Dr Pepper out of a bottle in one of those little golden glasses. I want to give you one more kiss on your cheek. I want you to beat me at Chinese Checkers one more time. I want to play Farkle with you one last time. I want to sit down on a little break with you at the market and prop my feet up for a few minutes. I want to be 15 again... really. I want to cuss the market every summer and swear to never return and return every summer until I was pregnant with Parker.
Grandma, watch over us and remind us that you're always with us. I love you!
2 comments:
So sweet. Would love to see pictures. She sounds like a sweet lady you were privileged to know.
I will post the pics as soon as I find my jump drive they are saved on. You know I always place stuff in super safe spots! :)
She was a great lady whom I miss dearly.
Post a Comment