Lunch With Grandma

Yes, I still have a lot of mission trip writing to do, but I have to jump in here one more time before I get to that.  Since we got back I have been tending to the things that just couldn't wait any longer, like funerals and jury duty.  Finally, this week, I have gotten to a few of the people on my list.  Literally.  I have a list of people that I need to call, see, email, people that just got neglected while I was gone.  Today I went and picked up Grandma Brantley and took her to lunch.  We just always called them Grandma and Grandpa because their granddaughters were in our youth group when we came and that's all I ever heard them called.  When my kids were little, we would go and visit them.  Grandpa always showed Joshua his knife collection, and the girls always played with the barbie dolls that were left there by the granddaughters.  We always took by something homemade on Christmas Eve and visited for a while.  It's been 11 years since Grandpa left us.  I adored him.  Absolutely adored him.  Grandma and I talked about him at lunch today and I told her that I always go for the ones that like to act like big bull dogs but are really big teddy bears inside.  I had Grandpa figured out from the start, and I was right.  For years they sat right behind us in church. Grandpa and I had many heart to heart talks that I will never forget.  He let me see the real Grandpa and I loved him just the way he was.  Grandma and I became much closer after Grandpa died.  We laugh and talk and never have a quiet moment when we're together.  Today, while we were sitting in the restaurant, Joshua just happened to come in.  Grandma hadn't seen him in so long and she was so thrilled to see him and he certainly remembered her!  We talked about how blessed she is to be her age and SO healthy and able to do all she does.  She still cooks lunch for her family most days, and I do mean cooks!  She talked about her devotions that she had read just this week. Another elderly couple from church came over to our table and were just shocked to see us together.  They asked if we were related.  We both just looked at each other and neither of us said anything for a few seconds.  Finally we both laughed and I said "Well, yes!"  Grandma had known them for years, I had known them for years, but none of knew we knew each other.  Finally, I told them that we had always called them Grandma and Grandpa and that our kids had always called them Grandma and Grandpa, for all of our 25 years here.  They went on to their table and sat down and we laughed about it.  All I know is that I have spent a whole lot of years very far away from most of my family.  My children have had several Grandma and Grandpas that are not any blood relation. We have had many relationships that have bathed us in love.  God has blessed us in ways we could never have dreamed.  My visits with Grandma are precious to me.  I look forward to them.  They are not always for her benefit.  Sometimes I need her to be my friend and I always know where to find her and she always has time.  We walked out of the restaurant and Grandma took my hand and she said "I think we are relation, I think that happened a long time ago."  I have to agree.