I had a fairly good childhood. Sounds vague and unimaginative , I know, but without making this some divulgent (I just made up that word) diary, this actually best describes it, for now. There are things I wish I could forget, things I wish I could remember better…and on and on. But what I do know to be true and what I am thankful that I remember clearly (in my own interpretation of events), is that my Grandma Pinnie.. .she was real, she was there, she was everything a Grandma should be and then some. She made our family seem real, and if you don’t understand what I mean here is a little background…
I grew up in a ‘broken’ home, whatever that means. You can have a very broken home with parents still married but what I mean here is that my parents divorced when I was very young, and my siblings and I went back and forth between our parent’s houses. This was normal for me because I was so young, I don’t remember it any other way. And everything turned out okay. My brother and sister are both people I love dearly and admire tremendously. I do know that their interpretation of events are certainly different from mine, simply because I was the baby, they experienced a lot before I ever existed. But, by the simple and profound grace of God we grew to adulthood without criminal records, with college degrees plus some, and as great friends. Grandma’s house may have had something to do with this. In a subtle way I think it is true.
You see, I remember coveting (being seriously jealous of) my friends who went on family vacations every summer to neat places and neat just because it was with their family. Wow. What would that be like? We went to my Grandma Pinnie’s. It included a beach, and great fishing, but it also included Grandma. She came to our birthdays, she came to our graduations, she came and went as a constant in our life. And those summers were a constant. And one of the coolest things? She gave us those ‘neat family vacations.’ I didn’t think about it at the time but now I know that is exactly what they were. Every summer for three to four years at least she took us (the three kids), on some pretty exciting adventures. One time she took us to New Mexico, my third grade year, my first time on an airplane. We camped out, made candles, saw bears in the wild (obviously not on purpose), and where I had my ‘most embarrassing moment’ when I peed in my pants on a long hike because I didn’t want to go in the woods. By the time we got back to the campground my Grandma had already found out about this and she didn’t laugh or make me feel small, she comforted me and was not embarrassed by her 8 year old granddaughter having an ‘accident.’ Whew. I will always remember Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico. One summer she drove us all the way from Florida to New York City stopping along the way for another incredible adventure. In New York City we all four walked up to the top of the crown of the Statue of Liberty, where most of the steps are a spiral staircase. That was my 65+ year old Grandma Pinnie.
Today at 87, she remains the woman who, for me growing up, gave predictability, unhindered love, and countless hours to sharing in her grandchildren’s lives. And she may not have known (until now), how deeply, uniquely, and awesomely, her presence affected my childhood and certainly my adulthood. I am grateful to God for giving her to me. Happy 87th Birthday Grandma! I love you.
Grandma with Sophia, she held Sophia the whole time we visited, and Sophia loved it.
I posted this before but worth a re-post.
Pure Love.
