Learning from the past

Both of my Grandmothers meant the world to me but in very different ways. One was very loving and bubbly while the other rather reserved yet extremely down to earth. Both have made such an impact on my life that I felt necessary to share just briefly what I have learned from both.

Both of them lost a parent at a very young age. My Grandma Mullis lost her mother when electricity hit her standing at the kitchen window and my Grandma Dixon lost her father when a sledge hammer sprung back and killed him. Because of this both have been very attached to their families.

My Grandmother Dixon will always be remembered anytime I'm in the kitchen. She was a caterer and everything she made was excellent. She taught me that cooking is fun and its really a ministry to others. She was always helping make wedding food or rehearsal dinners and I occasionally helped out. When she got sick and she couldn't cook anymore you could just see the pain in her eyes because she really loved to cook more than anything. She also quilted and my most precious treasure in my room is my double wedding ring quilt she made me for my 16th birthday. She was determined to make all her granddaughters a quilt for their 16th birthday and she accomplished this goal. I will always hear her voice in my head saying, "Shelby Marie" as she would give you the biggest hug and kiss on the cheek. I could go on and on about how wonderful she was to me.

My Grandmother Mullis was an elementary school teacher for like a million years. Although she was not as lovey dovey as my other Grandma I can see more similarities with her personality and mine. She kept me most summers when my parents had to work and I would help her do chores and then get to go swing on the big wooden swing attached to their big oak tree. I don't remember much about those summers other than knowing that she would like to stop around 12:30 to watch her soaps and she would tell me that they were just trash on tv but she still like them! I'll also remember taking her to get her hair done when I was able to drive. She would put cotton in both her ears so water wouldn't run into them at the beauty parlor. However she did this as we were driving down the road and then she would ask you a question and you'd talk and she couldn't hear what you were saying. Priceless fun!

It was weird during Thanksgiving to not have them both around. Its like being in two familiar settings and seeing flashbacks in your head of past Thanksgivings with them there. They were there, just in my memories and thoughts and prayers that I could be half the woman both of them were.