Merry Christmas, Grandma Delbridge

While talking to my mother on the phone yesterday I discovered, much to my surprise, that my Grandma Delbridge is featured in the current Lillian Vernon catalog. Apparently my cousin the artist works for Lillian Vernon, and when they needed a "the perfect Grandma" to slip into a Christmas frame/ornament for photography, my cousin Joan was able to whip this picture of our Grandma Delbridge out of her wallet tout de suite. (Good thing they weren't depending on me... I'm doing good to keep current photos of my kids in my wallet, and it's not always that easy to find them.) Anyway, Grandma made it into the catalog, where she will be immortalized, at least for the 2008 Christmas season.

Her name wasn't "Pat," by the way. It was Mary Clyde Pearson Delbridge, and most of my memories of her were from the time after my Grandfather Delbridge died. She didn't drive, but worked as an alterations lady for Peebles department store. When my mother and sister and I would visit her, we'd shop for groceries on Saturday afternoon, and then pull around to the back of the store where we would pick her up after work. We'd often have store-bought barbeque for dinner, then Mom would perm Grandma's hair and, while it was setting, Grandma would make Ellen and I Coke floats. On Sunday Grandma made amazing fried chicken in a cast iron skillet for dinner (i.e., lunch). She always gave her grandchildren underwear for Christmas (but it was really nice underwear, from Peebles), and would test our intelligence by asking us to spell "biscuit."

To see Grandma Delbridge's face in a Christmas ornament reminds me of just how much I miss those childhood holidays spent with my grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. Sometimes it's hard to fathom sometimes how I got from there to here, where I am my parents, creating Christmas memories for my children.

But thoughts of my grandparents and other relatives long gone are also comforting, like quilts I can pull out of a cedar chest and wrap around me. My friend Lori lost her mother this week, and last night, at a memorial service, I was reminded of this verse:

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” ~ Hebrews 12:1 (NIV)

Doesn't knowing who's cheering you on in the stands make the race just a little easier?