I loved having root beer floats with my grandma. Dustin and I had many with her when we were living there. When I was younger and would go visit her she always made me a root beer float. I remember one night I brought some of my friends to her house because we were in Centerville. She was SO excited that I brought my friends by. I think I made her whole day... maybe week. She was getting older, so she didn’t physically make us the floats. However, she made sure we made them for ourselves (and her, of course) and enjoyed them. One time I went to grandma’s house and she didn’t have root beer! She made me a Dr. Pepper float instead.
One thing my grandma and I share is a sweet tooth. When she was getting near the end of her life and didn’t really want to eat anything I could ALWAYS get her to eat ice cream or a root beer float. She told me pretty much every day that the ice cream she had at my wedding was the best ever! My grandma has doomed me to a life addicted to sweets. But hey! If I inherited her sweet tooth genes I’m hoping I also inherited the ability to eat endless sweets and stay slender...
It may surprise you that there are NO poems in her book about sweets or root beer... I thought there might at least be one in her limericks, but no. There is one about Licorice, but as we all know, that was her beloved dog... So that doesn’t count. Today’s poem is not about sweets or root beer. I just went off about root beer floats because that's something I loved doing with grandma. But it was the time together that was the best. This week's poem is about a grandma who somehow made every grandchild feel like they were the favorite and most important.
Hi Grandma, I Love You
Leotha Wade Slagowski
I wonder what I did with all my time
before this little grandson of mine
learned to dial my number.
His mother scolds,
and yet, a dozen times a day,
the phone rings and I hear him say,
“Hi grandma, I love you.”
I listen while he tells me
all about Superman, Spiderman and such.
We talk about such special things
as ball and bats and trucks and trains
and fireman’s hats.
And yes, we talk about Jesus.
(Do all five-year-olds love Jesus
so much)?
Grandma, if you are too busy
for this little child,
you are far too busy, far.
Grab this moment
and hold it while you can;
it will not last -
other numbers will replace yours,
oh, so fast
You will never be so much a part
of his young world again.
There will come to his view,
new horizons every day.
What would you give in twenty years
to have him call to say,
“Hi, grandma, I love you.”
I’m grateful to have people in my life who take the time to make me feel loved, special, and important. My grandma was someone who taught me how important it is to love people no matter what. She always made you feel loved, whether it was over the phone or over a root beer float. I guess that’s a reason why so many people loved her!
So I challenge you to make sure those around you feel loved.
