09/24/2026
Wednesdays with Grammy ❤️
I was the first blood grandchild on both sides of my family, and I had a pretty interesting collection of grandparents.
My paternal grandmother, Maw Maw, Pauline, was under 40 when I was born. She was the youngest of nine; young, fun, and full of life. She was the kind of grandmother who didn't seem old enough to be a grandmother.
My paternal grandfather, Frank, was seven years older than her. He was the rebel of the family, fun-loving, loved to party, and from what I've been told, the life of the party. There was a darker side to that life, though, and he died before he was 60. I never really knew him.
Then there was Mama Hoyle, who was in her 50s when I came along. She was the grandmother whose memory has stayed with me in so many ways.
My grandfather Ellis died when my mom was only nine, so I never knew him.
And then there was my step-grandfather, Pauline's second husband, Johnny; my Paw Paw, who was full of stories and always seemed to have another one ready to tell.
Looking back, I realize I learned something from all of them.
There isn't one way to be a grandparent.
Some are young. Some are older. Some are storytellers. Some are the fun ones. Some leave us with memories we carry for a lifetime, even when we didn't have them for very long.
And now I get to be Grammy.
I don't know exactly what my grandchildren will remember about me someday.
Maybe they'll remember the stories.
Maybe they'll remember the crazy things we did.
Maybe they'll just remember that Grammy showed up.
I think, in the end, that's probably enough. ❤️
