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| Photo courtesy of Vanished Americana |
TODAY THE WORDS are YA’LL COME. In the south where we live, born and raised, it is common to hear the expression “Ya’ll come” and southern hospitality is known to be the best. Today, I had a thought, even though we say that, we are actually hoping, “ya’ll come but not all at one time”. Our Mother loved attention and for people to come to see her, but she liked it when they spaced the visits out and crowds seem to make her a little nervous. I think back to all of us going out to my Grandparents on Daddy’s side. Most of his siblings and their children went there for Sunday dinner. I never see tables as long as the one we ate, and they had two of them side by side. One thing I remember is the adults ate first and the children last, which is the exact opposite from today. I have not figured out which way is the best way due to a couple of thoughts. 1) if the children are fed first, they don’t seem as restless but 2) it was looked as a form of respect and lesson that sometimes in life you have to wait to get what you want. I see both sides of this coin so I don’t make a call on how I feel about this change of tradition. I reflect back on how much work it was for Granny Lott who cooked and served it all. It had to be so tiring for her but I remember her hugs. She didn’t say “I love you” but somehow I always felt love from her. I was telling the story yesterday of how she made “cat head” biscuits and made her own white sugar syrup. She would poke a hole in one of those biscuits and fill it with syrup and give it to me. She would tell me to go in the yard and eat it. That was her way of spoiling me, I think. That memory stays with me for all time. We were so busy having such a good time of playing with our cousins, and the adults were so busy telling their tales, and no one seemed to notice how much Granny worked. I now wonder when I have a lot of company and I know fully well how much work it is, did Granny ever think, “Ya’ll come but not all at one time”. Reminiscing those times has helped me be more considerate of others’ times and energy. If we do unto others as we would like for others to do unto us, this world would be a little easier for everyone. God wants us to practice The Golden Rule as it takes into a lot of His Teachings. Be kind, not blind to the needs of others.
DAILY FEATURED BIBLE VERSE:
Philippians 2:3-4
Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.
(c) copyright 2013 Arline Lott Miller. The material here copyrighted, use only by permission.
