Train up a child in the way to go, and when they get old, they won’t depart from it (Proverbs 22:6)
Picture it, Chicago circa 2000-2001…before mobile phones and apple watches were a norm and we were still saving our work on a 3 ½ floppy disk. Watches were a luxury back then, or at least a luxury for a 12-year-old.
Proverbs is the book in the Bible that is filled with wisdom and when I think about my Granny, I think about this Bible verse. Granny was tough, no nonsense, strong and mighty. She ruled with an iron fist and introduced me to my first Bible scripture, Psalm 23. My sisters and I were instructed to memorize that passage and that we did. Proverbs 22:6 applies more because every time my sisters and I went to Granny’s to visit, spend our spring/summer breaks or live, we weren’t allowed to just lay around the house. We were up by 7 AM, showered, ate breakfast and then given a list of chores to complete. Watching TV was reserved for the weekends or when we didn’t have school. I learned how to dust, vacuum, sweep, go to the store and how to take care of myself. I also learned how food can bring everyone together. It is because of my Granny and Mom’s cooking that I decided to pursue Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management.
My biggest lesson and one that has served me well from the
school of my Granny is TIME! Everywhere I went I had a time to be back by a
certain time. If I wasn’t back in the allotted time that Granny thought it
should take me, I was in trouble. I wonder if Granny factored in extra time
because I’m a slow walker…no, no she did not. But what she did factor in was
the distance I had to go and left no time for me to venture off somewhere else
or get into any trouble. School let out at 2:30pm, I had to be at her house at
3:30pm. That meant I had to run out of school, wait for my little cousin to get
out of school, run to the bus stop, and get on the #28 bus and ring the
bell all before the clock struck 3:30 PM. No lollygagging, no hanging
out, – just get in and get out or get in trouble! Those were my options. Even
now as a grown woman, time is very important to me. I don’t like to be late, but
I don’t like to be super early either. At that point, I feel like I didn’t use
my time wisely and I could’ve accomplished something else in those few minutes.
Even now with all these technological advances, if I’m going somewhere for the
first time I allow enough time for anything to happen so that of course, I
don’t get in trouble!
I love you Granny ~ November 7, 1934 – November 5, 2001
