Grama's Ring

When I was a little girl I was fascinated with my Grama’s hands.  I thought they were so pretty and I loved to play with the prominent veins the stood out on the tops of her small soft hands (I guess that could have been one of the first clues that I would become a nurse someday!).  I loved her fingernails always long, strong, and polished in pearly or pale pink, I would place them over my short nails and hope some day mine would be as nice. I loved her rings and would always spin them around on her fingers and sometimes try them on, when she could get them over her arthritic knuckles. She would always say, "someday this one will be yours", her birthstone ring, a dark blue teardrop sapphire set in gold and flanked by two small diamonds. I knew what that “someday” meant and I was in no hurry for the ring to be mine. 

I was always scared of her passing on, afraid I would be without her. Sometimes I would figure out how old she was now and how old I was and think okay, well if she lives to be this age I will be that age and maybe then I would be able handle her passing, but then I would try to make her older and older so I would haver her longer. I prayed she wouldn’t ever go. 

Today I got her ring.

As I held the ring my hand my mind flashed back to her soft, pink, hands that held me, soothed me, taught me, cooked for me, sewed for me, and cared for me. I could see it on her finger, remember how she would twirl it around, and how she would hold it and tell me it would be mine "someday." I will never forget those hands. 

I cried.  

About two months ago she passed, 95 and me 40. God had prepared both of us, it was hard, but it was okay.

Earlier this evening I had time to look at it closer, it only fits my pinky. I took it off and held it and turned it over to look at it, it needs to be gently cleaned, there is a bit of powder built up. She loved powder (I do too). Then I thought, maybe it is flour from the many times she loving baked for us? Strange as it sounds I could not bear to clean it....it’s almost a last bit of her.  

Today is “someday”, and the ring is mine.

I will clean it.

But, I will clean it tomorrow.

Or maybe the day after that.

I love you my Gram! 

Thank you for the ring, thank you more for your love .

A Baker's Dozen of Important Lessons Learned this Week

1. When it has been raining, check the playground slide before allowing the child to slide down…unless it’s a lot warmer and he’s not wearing jeans. We all got a good LAUGH out of this one.
2. Being “Soccer Parents” means you SECRETLY hope children on the other team fail, and you want to smack the "parental sideline coaches…hard!”
3. Make everyone pee before leaving home….having to pee is a very CONVENIENT excuse to make pit stops in order to beg for pop and candy.
4. Find BORING pit stops (see number 3)
5. Kid hugs are AWESOME!
6. When a 9 year old boy runs around to open your car door, your heart MELTS!
7. If you torment the goose enough, it will eventually CHASE you, If you scream, run, and throw your back pack at said goose, it will snatch it up and take it to the middle of the pond and drop it in!
8. Four shoes without laces equals the number of times a boy has made a lace/stick fishing poles in HOPES to catch a big one down at the creek.
9. After much hurt, trust takes time…glimpses of it are SWEET!
10. The "Honeymoon Period” was short and sweet. Despite the trials and testing children are scared, hurting, and LONGING for love and acceptance.
11. The sound of little boy giggles is DELIGHTFUL!!
12. It takes a village - Village, you know who you all are and we THANK YOU!!!
13. Being a parent is fun, scary, emotional, tough, exciting, humbling, fantastic, and EXHAUSTING…..good night friends and fellow villagers!