Granny!
Every person has their own personal holiday or series of holidays throughout the year, more than what’s on the calendar. They are either cause for celebration or cause for the quiet, solemn, “turn-all-the-lights-off-have-a-bottle-of-wine-and-go-to-bed-till-this-day-is-over” and for the most part, our life flashes as we celebrate our private holidays.
April 1st is one of those private holidays for me, only I am rarely private about it. Why? Because the day is important to me. I call it “Breakfast Day” and it is a day for me to focus on one of the most amazing women that I have had the honor and privileged to spend a large part of my life with; she is a person who helped shape me to be who I am.
My granny, Doris Lee Chapman, was a woman of love, compassion, and strength. She raised me from the age of infancy to 9 years old and she will remain my hero, for years to come… although my mother, my best friend, is rising up to meet her status.
Granny was the kind of woman who always had her doors open. Even when she was sick or down, she’d keep her lights on for people to come over. It was kind of hard not to, with her, I understand… what with her having 16 children and all. I mean, that’s exponential growth in future generations! Holy Moly! Anyway, one of her favorite traditions to do was to cook a full on breakfast for anyone when they spent the night with her. We’d get to spend time with her and then wake up in the morning to the most delish spread of breakfast foods that I’d swear she had a secret staff that only came out to help her cook and then went back into hiding. Eggs, toast, biscuits, bacon, pancakes, syrup, juice, milk, and the list goes on. It was always such a wonderful experience! It’s where I learned how to sop up the yolk with my toast and get that delicious flavor in my mouth (that of course, now I’ve grown to dislike over time and I get my eggs scrambled).
So, I’m not really the kind of person to cook breakfast every day. I’m not really the kind of person to cook at all, to be honest. But I’m the kind of person who honors people as often as I can, and on this day… the day that marks the expiration of my beloved hero’s own breakfast traditions, I have chosen to celebrate her life and to eat breakfast with all who will come and enjoy.
Of course it doesn’t always work out for me the way I want it. Ideally, I’d like to be the cook and have people come over around 9 or so and eat the food. So if that isn’t possible, then I sometimes go to IHOP or Denny’s with a group of people. Tonight, I’m inviting a few of my friends over to enjoy breakfast, and I really encourage any of my friends or readers out there to eat some eggs in honor of my granny too. If you don’t know what she’s like, think of the best traits you see in me and you’ve pretty much got her as well.
I’ll probably have a glass of wine too, in celebration and love for her and the humanity that she instilled in me. So if you don’t like breakfast, raise a glass with me too.
For 10 years now, this day has never been a joke for me. It’s probably one of the most serious and loving experiences I create for myself all year. So! Off for the day. I am going to make my “Breakfast Day” plans, get my MacBook Pro fixed once and for-all hopefully, and get back to work! Granny was a hard worker in life and that is what I want to be too.
Good day, my friends!
Love,
Tabby
In Loving Memory for Doris Lee “Granny” Chapman.
