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For me, it was “Mama Eva”…
By Kimberly Kelly
Nov. 12, 2008 at 11:56 PM
… that was my mom’s mother, my grandmother; and for her, the only option to watch me… day cares? No way. For my kids, “Mama Gwen” (my mother) was the obvious choice. In fact, for all the years I worked early morning radio, well… day cares just aren’t open at 4 in the morning. Not to mention, there was such a calming reassurance that my child was being cared for and loved, that I knew. After all, I didn’t need to interview her. I didn’t have to put up “secret, spy cameras”. I had seen her at work, first hand, for at least eighteen years.
Michelle Obama has just said her mom would be coming to the White House to help with the kids. “Good for you Obama family”, that’s what I say! Quite frankly, unless Mary Poppins coming flying in town anytime soon, I think grandmothers, aunts and family of all kinds should be looked at as a first option. Now this is not to knock those who don’t have the option, but for me growing up, I loved it! Spending time with my grandmother was invaluable. I learned things and gathered memories that will stay with me my entire life. I learned to make a roast the way that I still do to this day, along with an amazing pound cake and darn good cornbread. I learned to be independent and strong like she was. I learned what flowers were what, outside… how to shell beans. I learned to be frugal from her post-depression ways and I also learned kindness, humility and even about God from the example of my babysitter… My grandmother.
I recently read an article at (http://www.scrippsnews.com/node/37890) where it stated:
“… in the November issue of the journal Pediatrics, analyzed the experience of about 5,500 newborns and toddlers born in the late 90s.
The study found that having grandparents as caregivers cut the risk of injury to the child by half, compared to organized day care, care from other relatives or even care from a stay-at-home mom.”
Now, I know there are perfectly fine child care institutions, nannies, Au’pairs, and the like; and I am NOT here to debate stats as technical as the ones above. I just know that as a 30 (something) year old woman, I still can feel the softness of my grandmothers plump, giggly upper arms as I would hold to them. I often hear her voice, as clear as any, telling me advice on issues I face today and I seldom look at the moon, with out knowing that not only do I see it, but that… “... the moon sees me. God bless the moon and Good bless me”.
For those reasons, among many others, I applaud their choice.
See you on the Tv…
kimberly
Comments
Amanda… so much of your experience reminded me of mine.
Brought a tear to my eye.
Thanks!
Kimberly,
I heard you say this morning that you have a connection to Miss. (through your grandmother, I think?). Having been raised in Miss. I couldn’t let the moment slip by without trying to find out WHERE in Miss. you made all of those wonderful memories! (When you’re from Miss. you talk to everyone . . . and make most everyone “family”!)
So, I found myself here on your blog . . . still unable to find the answer through this entry on grandmothers. So, where DID you make all of those memories?!
Grenada, Mississippi… actually a small town outside of,
Hardy, MS.
Grandmothers’ are (I think) The best people in the world.
Not just because you can get by with a little more than what your parents let you do..lol. They have that comforting feeling that you know you can always go to them no matter what and they can give some of the best advice. You can always find love and nurture from your grandmother.
I lost my grandmother back in late 1999. It was just a few months before I turned 16 and It still to this day gets me down. We lost her to C.O.P.D. She was the most wonderfully, amazing woman to me and I tell my husband all the time how much he would have loved her. She was bed-ridden a few years before she died and still full of laughter. I spent more time growing up with her than my own mother and in her last years…we would sit and talk and watch her shows together…I remember as a kid, comming up to her at the kitchen table where she was getting ready for work, putting her make-up on and I would stand there watching her and she would dab just the smallest amount of lipstick on me and tell me how beautiful I was. She went through so many hard times and still kept a smile. Having 6 kids and loosing one at the age of 16..and then pretty much raising all of us grand kids…I miss her so much!
Ok, i now i went really long on this comment but i couldnt write a whole book that would say everything i want about what she meant to me! Thanks for letting me share.