Generations

A few Sundays ago we packed up the bear and spent a relaxing afternoon at Mammaw's (Terry's maternal grandmother) house with one of Terry's cousins and her three kids. It was so much fun. It was one of those moments when you are actually lucky enough to realize how special it is as you live it. I was helping Mammaw in the kitchen. She was just warming up the many, many dishes she'd gotten up before 6 a.m. to make in time for church. It reminded me of stirring pots in my own grandmother's kitchen on Sundays, too. I realized that these were many of the same dishes Terry had enjoyed a thousand times in this house when he was growing up.

He spent countless days and nights at his Mammaw's house. Playing on the same carpet, using the same dishes, running around the same backyard. Now it's Micah's turn.

The food wasn't fancy, the house wasn't huge or pristine, but it was the ultimate meal because it was...well, homey. It was good conversation and lots of love. It was a little piece of Terry's childhood that was being passed along to the next generation and I got to observe it. When we left all I could talk about was how I wanted to do it again...and often!

Monday night we spent some time at my own grandparent's house in Sugar Land and I had many of the same feelings. My grandmother trapsed to the attic and garage more than once to pull out old toys, dolls, a rocking chair, and even a highchair that she'd purchased for her first grandson who is now 30. It was fun watching Micah play with the same toys I remembered.

We're probably the last generation who will get to see this. Now, nobody stays put and nobody keeps stuff in the same way. Micah won't get to see either of the houses Terry and I grew up in. Now everyone moves once their children are gone. Or at the very least, remodels. But, there is something so...wonderful about seeing Grandma's and Mammaw's homes in exactly the same condition they were in decades ago! Maybe I'm being too nostalgic, maybe I'm just revolting against change and yearning for more of the way things used to be. Or maybe I can juct appreciate the warm feeling you get in your tummy being around that kind of consistency and stability.