Writing About the Simple Things

Today I'm feeling a bit melancholy.

I am thinking of my grandmother who passed away a few years ago--she was my best friend and an example of love. I don't remember her ever yelling at me, and when she spoke to me it was at my eye level, as though she respected every word I said.

Photo by: sweetenough, courtesy of Flickr

Years ago, actually the year was 1997, I wrote a short story about my experiences at her house. And I think it's interesting that what I remember most are the simple things. You know. The way she made breakfast. The creek in her backyard. The cherry tree that should have been called a "cheery" tree for all the joy it gave me.

Since tomorrow is Mother's Day, I hope you will take a few moments, maybe even longer, to think about the women you love and appreciate in your life. 

 

What is it that you remember most about your mother or grandmother? Is it the way she baked pies? The way her hands felt as they touched your cheeks after you’d been crying?

I have often wondered what will be remembered most about me. What will I leave behind for my posterity to remember and record? Will it be that I was a writer? Or will a closer answer be that I had a testimony of the Lord? Will it be the little things like the way I parted my hair, or the songs I sung, or the stories I knew by heart?

When you remember your mother or grandmother I hope you make a place for the simple things. Simple things are important, like a bird’s song in the morning, an organ recital for one, or a breakfast of eggs, sausage, pancakes and grapefruit with a serrated spoon. 

Write down what you remember. Note the simple things in your life that carry meaning. It will make a difference to you and to all the lives you touch.