Until I was 10, I lived two doors down from my granny on a quiet dead end street. That was great for me because any time I got in the least bit of trouble, I would sneak out of my house and run as fast as my little legs could carry me to granny’s…where, like any good grandparent, I could do no wrong. 😜
Granny’s house was a happy place. Her yard was filled with beautiful flowers in the spring and summer. And, a vegetable garden out back. There were tall Maple trees that provided cool shade where we gathered to shuck corn and string beans. On long summer days, I would grab a book and read the afternoon away in the hammock.
She let me keep my cats at her house which equated to about 14 when two momma cats had litters at the same time. And, she didn’t tell my mom and dad that I started feeding bacon to the stray dog. Which happened to give birth to five puppies a few weeks later.
When my parents built a new house and moved a half mile away, I refused to leave my granny. In fact, I stayed with her for two weeks until my parents forced me to move. I could no longer run to granny’s any time that I wanted. It was a sad time.
Of course, she still picked me up from school every day and I spent every Saturday night with her….even through most of high school.
Yes, I was a wee bit spoiled. That didn’t sit well with my parents at times, but they, like me, knew I was loved unconditionally by granny. In fact, she once said “Honey, you could spit in my face, and I would still love you.” Haha! She didn’t seem to notice my faults or my rebellious teen years. She understood 1 Peter 4:8: “Love each other as if your life depended on it. Love makes up for practically everything.”
Mother Teresa said “If you want to change the world, go home and love your family.” Just like granny.