As
Granny Warnick lovingly rubbed her hand over the lacquered top of the old
jewelry box, she said, “Your Uncle Sonny sent me this from Okinawa a long time
ago.” She and I sat on her bed, looking through her jewelry. It was one of our
favorite pastimes. I would look at a piece while she told me a bit of a story
behind it. The precious time spent together gave these inexpensive trinkets
great value.
One
day, a slim, gold band caught my attention. I wondered who it belonged to. Picking
it up, I noted that there were no initials inside—only the 14K gold stamp. It
appeared to be my size. I slipped it on my finger and asked, “Granny, is this
yours?”
“Yes,
it is,” she answered. “That was my wedding band.” Several beats of silence
passed as she processed the memories associated with it. “Would you like to
have it?”
Granny’s
generosity would have extended to the shirt off her back. So, I wasn’t
surprised when she offered me the ring. Among the baubles and beads, she gave
me the one thing that was truly valuable. Looking into her paling blue eyes, I
nodded. “Thank you, Granny. I love it.” I reached over and hugged her. “Good!
I’m glad it fits,” Granny said, moving on to the next box.
Granny
rarely talked about her marriage; this time was no exception. From tidbits my
mom and aunt shared, I learned that Granny married at age 15 and soon bore four
children. Her husband, a college graduate, couldn’t make a living as a teacher
so he went to work at the one of the local brick yards. Tragically, he died of lung
disease caused by breathing the silica dust, leaving my 27-year-old grandmother
with four little children.
Grief
and responsibility overwhelmed Granny. To escape, she spent many hours at
Meloni’s Bar. I distinctly remember going there for supper on my 12th birthday.
Several years later, when I started dating, I took Dick to Meloni’s to visit
with Granny. Seated at the bar wearing white knee-high go-go boots, a
mini-skirt, and thick, cat’s-eye glasses, she was smoking a cigarette and
sipping a bottle of Rolling Rock beer.
One
day while Granny was working in her flower beds, a local minister walked by and
stopped to admire Granny’s beautiful plants. After a bit of small talk, the
pastor asked Granny about her relationship with God. He explained God’s love
and forgiveness, and with that conversation, God granted my 60-something
grandmother a brand-new start in life!
The
change was dramatic. That same week she stopped drinking and smoking. From then
on, Granny carried a heart-felt burden for others to experience God’s grace,
just as she had, and generously shared with family and friends the spiritual truths
she was learning.
She
and I continued our “jewelry” explorations, only now Granny often spoke of what
Jesus was up to in her own and others’ lives. Today, slipping Granny’s ring on
my finger magically transports me to her bedroom and those precious hours spent
sifting through her jewelry, and gleaning gems of godly wisdom.
Be encouraged!
Pam
©2019 Pamela D. Williams
writepam71@gmail.com
