Sunday Morning Positive Perks from your Sassy Small Town Missus

Gramma’s Popcorn Bag

This week, I am sharing a very personal story. I have kept it in my back pocket, but I have come to realize we could all learn from Gramma and her bag of popcorn.

As I was growing up, I was blessed to have two grandmas to help me become who I am. Both very different, but both treasured all the same. Both a product of their generations and cultures. Teaching me lessons along the way.

Gramma’s popcorn bag is one I will always cherish the memory of. It was that of Little Eva or, as we all called her, Gramma Goon. She was not a silly or overly affectionate grandma, but rather a strong and stable influence.

She was a good Presbyterian and had no use for nonsense. And neither do I. She whistled as she worked. And so do I. She had her secret inappropriate TV shows, like “Soap.” And so do I. Life taught her to be smart with her money. And so I try.

Her little canvas sneakers were always by her door, because she washed them rather than buy new ones. And so do I. Those sneakers kept her moving quickly well into her 80s, never complaining or slowing down. I pray I can do the same.

But one of the greatest memories for me is Gramma’s popcorn bag. You see, every Friday night, my dad would grab up Gamma Goon and bring her to my house for a visit. Some days, she even wore her rollers. She wasn’t driving much those days, so it was a weekly outing. My dad brought beer, and Grandma brought her bag of popcorn. Not just any old popcorn, but freshly popped with lots of butter and salt. You could see the butter seeping through the bag. You could smell the love coming from the warm kernels.

Every visit was the same. Gramma scolding Dad for drinking beer, while holding her bag of popcorn with the rim rolled down on her lap. But when it was time to open the bag of popcorn, it was more than just, well, popcorn. It was special, because Gramma was here at my house with HER Popcorn she made for us.

Each kernel held a kernel of knowledge of how to be dependable, be kind, be charitable, be frugal, be self-sufficient … be grateful.

Grandma was born in 1909 in Clarendon. She went to college and raised a family. Life was not always easy. But she knew the secret that was in the bag of popcorn: to count your blessings, not your woes.

To this day, I still love popcorn. I will eat any kind, but I favor the kind on the stove with butter and salt, just like Gramma made. Each kernel reminds me of her lessons. Now I know why she held that bag so tightly. It held the secrets to success and happiness, and I am grateful she popped them for me.

I wish I had a picture of Gramma with her bag, but the picture in my brain is as clear as if it happened yesterday.

Treasure your time with your loved ones who are aging, and digest all the kernels they are feeding you. It will serve not only your belly, but your heart and soul.

xoxo Grammy Goon ?

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Deborah London