100 Years

This morning, my aunt posted some photos of her father (my grandfather). Today would have been his 100th birthday. This just struck me as a wow when you think of how different our world is than it was in 1919.

My grandfather worked hard all of his life and passed away in December of 1994. My father favors my grandfather a great deal.

I recall playing checkers with granddaddy and he would challenge us with math problems, too. I wanted a calculator to do the math, and he always encouraged me to do the math in my head. He loved those puffed peppermints and they were usually in a candy jar beside his chair when we would visit.

He always had maps of Tennessee in the magazine rack and sometimes we would get them out and see if we could find places we had been. Then sometimes, he would quiz us on where we were, or where the Duck River was or which direction was Memphis, or Knoxville from where they lived.

He would eat cheerios or corn flakes at night with banana slices in the evenings when we spent the night.

It's amazing the memories that come flooding back over all these years.

Everyone leaves a memory, you can leave kindness or you can leave pain.

This makes me realize that now that I am a grandparent (the children refer to me as Mimi), I hope I leave good memories and kindness behind when I am gone.

One day will be the 100th anniversary of your birth, who will remember you?

Much love and hugs to everyone that reads this. I hope to get back to writing every week very soon.

If you are in danger, please get help.
The domestic violence hotline is 1-800-799-7233 and they are there to help and listen!