Visiting my Grandmother Dudley was easy when I was four because she lived with us. I would take my orange (or an apple) to her. “Grandma, please peel this for me?” I watched as her knife went around and around and a long spiral of peel appeared. She could peel my fruit, keeping the peel in one piece. I would leave with my peeled fruit in one hand and the peeling in the other. After the fruit was gone, I would carefully reassemble the peeling as best I could. Trying hard not to giggle, I returned to Grandma and asked, “Grandma, peel this for me, please?” She was always surprised that the middle part of the orange was gone.
When we were through with peeling and reassembling fruit, Grandma and I would read Pinky-Winky stories. These stories had small pictures that replaced some of the words. Grandma would read the story, pausing to let me read the pictures. (Pinky Winky Stories by Margaret Johnson was published in 1911.)
I am not talented like Grandma Dudley. When I peel an apple, I end up with many small pieces of peeling. She passed away when I was in high school and so my children have no memories of her. It is left to me to share my memories of this gentle grandmother with my children and grandchildren. If I do not record and share this small memory, it may be lost to her posterity.
I am a grandmother now. I do not peel fruit, leaving a single spiral of peeling. I don’t have a magazine with Pinky Winky stories to share. But I don’t have to be like Grandma Dudley. I need to be like me. I need to make sure that I am sharing moments with my grandchildren so that they have memories to warm their hearts and pass on to their children.
Spot on with this write-up,