Women are influential in the lives of those who love them. Women have an enormous impact on those they love. Today is my Mawmaw's Birthday. She has been gone since I was 12 but she has had an enormous influence on my life. Honestly, I don't remember many specific details about her. These are some of the things I do remember.
I remember how her house smelled. I can't describe the smell but I remember it. It was a clean smell. And very rarely, I smell the scent that was her house. There was never yelling at my Mawmaw's house, at least not the mad crazy kind. I never feared a fight while at her house. People didn't argue.
Therefore, I associate the smell of her house with peace. I remember that she was peaceful.
I remember that when I was small, I would sometimes get mad at my Mama. (cause she's CRAZY like me!) And when I got mad at her, I would pack all of my panties in a green, cosmetic suitcase thingy and tell her that I wanted to go live with Mawmaw. So, my mama would call her on the phone and Mawmaw would always say that I could come, but then she would talk to me for a while and convince me of my mother's love and of how much I needed her. I would eventually realize, due to her wisdom, that the best place for me was at home. However, the key is that if ever I was tempted to leave my mother's love, it was always my to Mawmaw's house that I wanted to run.
Therefore, I remember that she was wise and had a love that was second only to my mama's.
I remember that her house was THE place to be. My aunt's married military men and were often away when I was a child. But when they came home, Mawmaw's was where they ran as well. She was the orb around which our lives rotated. I went there to play with my cousins and visit. I remember the porch swing at her old house. I remember the big tree that was at the edge of the yard. I remember playing "Red Rover" and "Mother-May-I" in her yard hundreds of times. I remember playing "Hide-and-Seek" and how scary it was to hide behind that big tree when it was dark. So many of my childhood memories are of her house because she was the woman we all wanted to be near.
Therefore, I remember learning what family is all about.
I remember one time I was gone with a friend and they dropped me off at home after an outing. The problem with this scenario is that when I was dropped off, no one else was home, so I was ALONE. I must've been around 11 yrs. old. I remember sitting in my house being so terrified that I couldn't stand it. (when you have 5 brothers and sisters, being alone is not something you are comfortable with because it occured so rarely that you never got accustomed to the phenomenon) Anyway, I remember calling my Mawmaw and telling her how scared I was. I called her at home. This was way before cell phones so the option of calling my parents was null. She made my Pawpaw get in the car and drive her over to my house so that they could stay with me til my mama got home. When they got there, I had every light in the house on, the front door wide open and was holding a BB gun! She came because I was scared. They stayed with me til my parents got back so that I would not be alone or scared. Therefore, I remember that my Mawmaw was protection and comfort.
Even though I do not have many specific memories of my Mawmaw, the one's that I do have help me remember what a wonderful woman she was. And the memories help me know what an impact women have on the lives of those they love.
There are also some things that I know about my Mawmaw because of the legacy she has left behind. She raised 4 daughters who are the absolute backbone of the woman I am due to the influence they have had on me. My mom and my aunts have taught me how to make room in my heart for love and acceptance of all people under any circumstance. I don't remember a family gathering when there has not been someone present who was not necessarily related that did not become family before they left. That's because my Mawmaw opened her heart to everyone and she taught her kids to do the same.
She also raised sons who are not afraid to show love. I've never left my Uncles' homes without a hug and an "I love you." The men she raised are not afraid to love openly and that gave me enormous confidence in life. All of her children have taught me that love is service. My family is always willing to help and serve because their mama taught them that's how to love!
The things I remember and the things I know about my Mawmaw are not things I reminisce about only on her birthday. They are the things that have made me the person I am. That is how I know what an influence women have on lives.
This has not been eloquent, nor has it encompassed all the wonderful things I could relate about my family or it's Matriarch, but I hope it will help you realize that you are an influence, as am I. I want to be an influence for good, like my Mawmaw was.
