Happy Birthday Mommy-Dee!

Today is my grandmother’s 90th birthday. It’s kind of ironic that her 90th birthday falls on Memorial Day this year, since she spent her life as an Army wife. This is a letter I wrote in celebration of her birthday, as part of a family book of memories that was put together for the occasion. She is an amazing woman.

Mommy-Dee, you have been my grandmother for almost 40 years and a great-grandmother to my children for almost four. So much of who you are and what you have done for me has helped me be the mother I am and the grandmother I hope to become.

Here are some of the things I have learned from you -

  • Save empty pot pie tins, grandchildren love to play with them at the beach.
  • For the optimal happiness of their grandchildren, grandparents really should own a boat. This boat should be named after the aforementioned grandchildren, and should be used regularly for cocktail hour where cheese and crackers and ginger ale are served.
  • Scrambled eggs are best when made with Crazy Jane’s Mixed Up Salt and when served on Fiesta Ware.
  • The best grandmothers have chalk boards hanging in their kitchens so that they can play tic tac toe with their grandchildren. Of course they will also need a really cool folding step stool so their grandchildren can REACH the chalk board.
  • Cuckoo clocks provide hours of entertainment for grandchildren who are obsessed with watching the cuckoo pop out to say hello.
  • Silver tinsel icicles make Christmas trees seem magical to grandchildren.
  • Oreos are best when stored in the freezer.
  • Hummingbird feeders provide a similar level of entertainment for grandchildren as cuckoo clocks. Being able to sit six feet away while a hummingbird eats the red nectar from a feeder is just about the coolest thing a child will experience. Ever.
  • Good grandparents are always prepared for their children and grandchildren to need a place to stay. Having pink satin blankets on the beds makes female grandchildren feel like princesses.
  • Taking grandchildren out for some special one-on-one time to celebrate their birthday is always a great way to show your love. Movies like “Watership Down” are always a big hit and may also influence a grandchild’s future taste in books and movies.
  • Bringing your grandchildren to watch fireworks over Washington DC from the rooftop of the Museum of American History is one of the best experiences they will have (right up there with the hummingbirds.)
  • Grandchildren love to hear their friends and co-workers tell them how beautiful and full of class their grandmother is. Especially when it is so true.
  • Always be available to be interviewed for class projects by your grandchildren. Be sure to tell them what it was like to live though the Great Depression. It will amaze them.
  • When your adult granddaughter is on bed rest during pregnancy, bring her meals every couple of weeks. It will nourish her in ways you can’t imagine.
  • Make it a point to be there for your grandchildren in whatever way they might need.
  • Give. Give, give, give to your grandchildren. They will love you for it.
  • Always treat your grandchildren with the love and respect they deserve, they will never forget it.

On your 90th birthday I would like to take the opportunity to thank you from the bottom of my heart, Mommy-Dee, for all that you have done and continue to do for your entire family - your children, your grandchildren and your great-grandchildren.

I love you very very much.

xoxo
jen