Core Memories

Core memories. These are memories that can shape you, influence you and have a profound meaning or impact on your life. Core memories can evoke feelings of sadness, excitement or happiness and can since my blog and podcast is centered on all things positive, I want us to focus on those happy or positive core memories. You know, those memories that bring a smile across our face the moment we think about them because we are all about good vibes over here!

Today, I am going to share one of my core memories because it has shaped me in more ways than one and helped me to always be grateful for the little things I have in my life. This core memory of mine helped me to have the proper perspective when it comes to material things and to be content with the current things I do have. My paternal Grandmother who passed away in 1995 was nothing short of phenomenal and might I add, beautiful. She had long jet black hair, beautiful blue grey eyes, and had the sweetest, softest voice I have ever encountered in my life! Despite losing her sight at a young age, she never allowed that to hold her back in life. She didn’t have much in life, but she was rich in the two things that matter most, love and family.

Every time we would go to visit my paternal Grandmother, my heart would jump for joy because I could not wait to see her and feel her because her skin was always so soft; she also gave the best hugs. She would always touch and feel the shape of our faces, nose and lips to distinguish which grandchild she was feeling and to me, that was the BEST feeling in the world. Seeing the smile that would come across her face when she knew which grandchild she was holding and feeling always made me emotional because I would wish with every fiber of my being that she could see us, if only once, smiling back at her. I hated it when we had to leave and go back because that meant waiting several months before I could see her again, but leaving family goes with the territory when you are in the military.

My Grandmother would always give us a little something before we left because that was her way of showing us love. Most times it was a piece of fruit, a few pieces of candy and single small toy so we knew what to expect, but her last and final gift to us was by far the greatest. A few weeks before she passed way, we went by to see her and as a child I could tell that she wasn’t feeling well that day. As I lined up and waited for my turn to see her, I noticed a white bag she had next to her as she was pulling out each of our gifts. When I made my way up to my Grandmother and sat down on my knees in between her legs to face her so she could feel my face, I remember the huge smile that came across her face as she said “Nee baby, I got something for you too. It took me a while to save up for it, but this is yours.” As I cupped my small hands in to hers, she gently placed a medium-sized small brown bag in my hand and told me not to open it until we made it home. What was in that bag was the richest gift I have ever received.

In that medium-sized brown bag there was a huge orange, a folded white napkin, a jumbo sized peppermint stick, a tootsie roll pop and a folded but crumpled $5.00 bill. I remember looking at my gift and thinking that I was the richest little girl in the world because my Grandmother had given me something so special. Now to some, that gift may not have meant much, but to me that gift was the best gift in the world. That single gift taught me from that age and on that its not the size of the gift or the amount of money that was spent on the gift, but its the thought, the motive and the intentions behind the gift. My Grandmother gave me and my siblings the best she had and there is no amount of money that I can think of that would ever equate to that. Simply put, her final gift to me was and will always will be priceless.

💞-Anita