Granny’s Legacy

My Grandmother died, she is being buried today. She was my Daddy’s mama.

My Daddy has three brothers and a sister. When they were all in the home they worked on the farm, as dirt poor sharecroppers who worked hard, loved well and had a simple, yet special life. I love hearing the old stories.

My Daddy’s Daddy died some forty years ago and my Daddy’s mama was really special to the family. She was 97 years old…and precious.

When she turned 90 we had a big birthday party for her and I had all the family send me their favorite recipes and then I got my Daddy’s sister to give me all of Granny’s best recipes and created a cook book to honor her. In that cook book there is a photograph of her and a special poem. It’s a best selling cook book for us!  {love}

At that 90th birthday party my Daddy read that poem he wrote for her. Since then she asked him to read it to her many, many times. Especially over the last few months as her eyesight and health were failing. In her lifetime she was never honored with awards, her name was never on the lips of a newscaster, or famous person. But she did what God asked her to do when she became a mom – and she did it well, and for His name sake…not her own.

I think she had it right. Actually, I know she had it right.

I know her children, her grandchildren, her great grand children – I see the legacy she left behind. Being a mom really matters and to help you see that, here is what my sweet Daddy has to say about his mama.

• “Mama”
• By Samuel Tod Lanter
• I’ve called her Mama since I was a kid,
• Just as my brothers and my sister did.
• If we were bad, as we often were,
• We would feel the wrath oozing from her.
• She was an old softie, a lot of the time.
• But you bet we knew when to tow the line.
• Cause she had rules by which we must abide,
• And if we didn’t, she would tan our hide.
• She would do it without a flinch,
• with a willowy, limber switch.
• There were certian things we knew not to try,
• Such as steal, cuss, sass and especially never tell a life.
• We learned all this in Church and Sunday School,
• And Mama enforced this and the Golden Rule.
• We were not fancy or blessed with wealth,
• We just worked hard, played hard & prayed for good health.
• Our clothes were always cleaned and ironed real neat,
• And we had comfortable shoes on our feet.
• We didn’t have fancy food, like you read about in a book,
• But I’m telling you, that woman…she sure could cook!
• We are all grown now, with our own kids and grandkids,
• And each night before we close our eyelids…
• We thank God for all our blessings and such,
• And we also thank Mama, so very, very much.
• Mama your legacy will go on through the years,
• Your loving kindness & caring will wash away a lot of fears.
• I proclaim the above “throughout the land”
• You are loved by the entire LANTER clan.