Meaning

Meaning   noun \ˈmē-niŋ\

: significant quality; especially: implication of a hidden or special significance

Have you ever thought about the real definition of the word meaning. Honestly I can say I have not. I know I use it in my regular language everyday but I had never stopped and thought about what it really means, until this weekend. 

A close friend of our family became ill a couple of weeks ago. He thought he just had a chest cold and continued on his daily routine. However, he woke up one morning and just didn't feel right. He ended up in the hospital that afternoon, in hospice a week and half later and passed away early Saturday morning. How do you go from chest cold to death in a matter of weeks?! He had a rare type of pneumonia that unfortunately his body could not fight off, either because of age (89) or because its that strong of a bacteria. Either way he was gone in the blink of an eye. His passing made me stop and realize that he and people in my life have meaning to me. Mr. Wood and his wife were very dear friends of my grandparents, had been for years and years. They practically became second grandparents to me as I was growing up. Since 2000 I have lost all 4 of my grandparents. (Papaw Taylor Sept. 2000, Mamaw Taylor Nov. 2007, Mamaw Cornelius Jun. 2008 and Papaw Cornelius July 2011) As I stood at Mr. Wood's graveside I began to reflect on how each of my grandparents had had meaning in my life. Each one of my grandparents were miraculous people. They taught me life lessons, even when they didn't think I was getting it I got it, their ways of doing stuff I find are my ways of doing stuff  and their love for me is how I want to love my children.

From a very young age I can remember spending time with all my grandparents doing different activities. All my grandparents were at my dance recitals, school programs, came and had lunch with me and just spent quality one on one time with me. They helped make me who I am.

As a little girl I spent time with my mom's parents at their house in Knoxville and their lake house (after they moved down there). We (my family) would go to see them at the lake a couple of weekends out of the month. When we would pull in the driveway my Mamaw and Papaw would be there to meet us. She always had dinner cooking and Papaw wanted to know what was going on at school and if I was learning my Reading, Writing and Arithmetic like I was suppose to. After an amazing dinner, I would get ready for bed and then head to my grandparents room to have a "midnight" snack (around 9 p.m.) with my Mamaw. (this normally consisted of cheese, crackers, grapes and milk) My Papaw would always say no crumbs in the bed, I have to sleep there. And for sure I got crumbs in the bed, he he. When it would storm I would go sit with my Papaw out in the breeze way between the two parts of the house. I would be scared to death when that thunder clapped and rolled across the lake but my Papaw was by my side and nothing could hurt me. As I got older my Papaw's mind started slipping and eventually he didn't really know who I was. He had my mom stuck at my age and me stuck at my brothers age. But no matter what I could always hug him, tell him I loved him and he would just squeeze me and tell me I love you too. Not long after he passed away my Mamaw came back to Knoxville to live and her mind started slipping. The one thing that always seemed to drawl her back in a bit was when I would bring the girls over. She always seemed to know it was me then and that those were her great grand babies. I cherish those memories of the last few times I saw her.

My dad's parents were a few years younger than my mom's and they were still on the go when I was young. However, they never missed anything I was involved in. They kept me when my parents were working weird shifts or when dad was out of town. In the afternoons when my Papaw would pick me up from school we would come home, do homework then go for a walk. We would walk down to the local mini mart. I would always get a candy bar and drink. Then we would go and sit on an old rock wall and eat our snacks before heading home. (Mamaw said it would spoil our dinner so we never told her.) Neither the mini mart or wall where we sat are standing now but some of my great wisdoms came while sitting on that wall. Every year for as long as I remember I would go to their house just before Christmas and my Mamaw and Iwould make a gingerbread house. Most of the time they didn't stand for long but they were pretty and I got to spend that time with my Mamaw. Every Christmas for as long as I can remember on Christmas Eve we would go to their house. Eat snacks, have drinks (well the adults), sing Christmas songs, dance with my Papaw, laugh, tell jokes and just enjoy being a family. Some of my greatest memories come from Christmas eve.

These are just a few memories I have....

Looking back on all those memories also makes me realize how much meaning was in each relationship.  Although I will never get my grandparents back I am thankful for the time and memories I have. It still breaks my heart when I think of them, not being able to talk to them or hug them.  But I am very thankful that God has brought us back to TN. Back where my parents and Travis's mom are. Back where my girls will build memories like I did. Where they will know the real definition of the word meaning.