Today I was out in my garden, harvesting peas. When I came in and started to get the peas out of the pods I was almost immediately brought to tears. It has been almost twenty years since my hands smelled like a garden and fresh peas. It reminded me of all of the days I loved growing up. Spending the whole day in the garden with my grandpa then coming in and helping my grandma turn all that we grew into amazing nutritious meals. I have always been a city girl but I have always had my grandparents house just about a mile away and it was an amazing place. We had a pool, a huge garden, a hexagonal picnic table built around a huge tree. We had kid sized gardening tools so we could help our grandpa. We had a huge baseball field and a smaller field closer to the house where we could play and grandma could still keep an eye on us. I have very few bad memories of this house and my grandparents in general. They weren't perfect but to me they were just what I needed. My gramps was superman in my eyes. I was his little princess and I was always the one who wanted to help him with his chores. My grandma N. Was the one who kept me calm. She showed me how to crochet and cook and bake. She taught the tomboy how to be a little girl. My husband appreciates all that she taught me on a regular basis. I wonder if everyone is as lucky as I am. Does everyone love their grandparents as much as I did? I hope so I miss them everyday especially when I smell rose perfume or fresh shucked corn or like today peas from the garden. But I hope they are looking down on me and happy that I smile when these moments bring them back to me. I used to cry everytime. But I've learned to be thankful for the time I did have with them. Grandpa A. And Grandma N. I love you. And I miss you daily.
