One of the things I've most admired about my Grandma Aline is her sense of humor. With never an unkind word said to or about anyone, she was still able to be mischievously funny and witty. I remember riding with her to a Wednesday church meeting in early fall when I was about 27.
She'd had her ears pierced for the first time earlier in the year. And so, I'd finally gotten my nerve up and had mine pierced, too, at a booth at the Michigan State Fair, just a few weeks prior to our get-together.
Grandma had a wide variety of simple but beautiful sets of matching jewelry. They were gifts from Grandpa Cleo, who usually picked out a different gemstone each year. Rings, necklaces, bracelets, brooches and earrings. Since Grandma and I had the same ring size, it was a frequent joke between us when I'd blatantly "hint" that she lend me her rings. This time our talk turned to earrings.
Would she still be able to wear her many clip-back earrings? Would Grandpa remember to buy her pierced ones now? How many sets of pierced earrings did she think she would need to accumulate before I could start teasing her about "borrowing" them.
After a few minutes of this silly banter, Grandma grew silent. Then keeping her eyes straight on the road before us and with a voice tender with emotion she said quietly, "Kathy, dear, I'd like to give you the pair I have on today."
Wow! I hardly knew what to say! My grandparents came from hard-working Kentucky stock, who had struggled through many desperate times growing up, as well as after moving to Detroit. They were generous people, but to own a pair of Grandma's earrings now. Well, that was a gift I hadn't expected.
I waited a moment for traffic to clear in front of me, then turned to look at Grandma, eager to see what beautiful gems gleamed in her ears and ready to utter my humble "Thank You" and other inadequate words of gratitude.
What I saw made me bust out laughing!
There she was, looking the other way and casually twisting and turning what dangled from her ears — plain old black thread!
She turned back to face me, mischievous smile wide across her face. "Gotcha!"
Grandma Aline hasn't lost a bit of her humor and wit.
She turned 100 this year, February 2nd, 2009. Groundhog's Day.
At her birthday party held in a small banquet room at a local restaurant that same day, surrounded by friends, family, good food and fond memories, her eyes danced with delight and her smile was just as wide as ever even though she'd taken out her dentures because they didn't fit quite right anymore.
After dessert, always a favorite course of hers, I sat with Grandma awhile and presented the updated number of living descendants she and Grandpa had begat starting with their two children: One son (my father), 13 grands, 31 great-grands, and 13 great-great grandchildren, including one grandson born earlier that very day. Plus, one more due in July.
Grandma rolled her eyes. "I feel busy just thinking about it!"
She out did herself later that evening, setting my husband up as her straight man. Sitting quietly together, he asked Grandma, normally an early riser, if she thought she'd like to take a break and sleep in the next morning. "Well, yes, I just might do that," she replied. "Then again maybe I just won't wake up at all."
"But Grandma," my husband said, "That wouldn't be good."
Grandma leaned over, eyes sparkling and the familiar mischievous grin beginning to pull at the corners of her mouth. "No, that wouldn't be good. But sure would freak them out!"
JUST FOR TODAY, let's find ways to find and enjoy humor within our lives, especially with those we love. It's a trait that has served my Grandma Aline Davidson well for over 100 years. I wonder just how many hearts, minds and souls her warm, witty, gracious and mischievous smile has warmed all these years. Please consider sharing your own stories of good humor and laughter.
UPDATE: Grandma passed away in September 2010 as she sat on my dad's living room couch reading her well-worn Bible. Her passing is especially memorable for its calm simplicity. As Dad described, "One minute I looked over and she was reading her Bible. A few minutes later I looked again and she was gone."
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