playing by the rules

A crown of silver and decades on this earth give a grandparent the right to say what they want whenever they want to say it. The older you get, the less of a filter you have. This is a terribly wonderful thing. Folks who were once inhibited and rarely spoke their mind, now have no reason to hold back. My husband’s grandma was like that. We never knew what to expect.

Grandma had tons of rules when we moved into the farmhouse with her. No running on the stairs. All the egg shells go in the old crisco container by the sink and get put in the trash only on Thursday. No pots and pans go in the dishwasher even if it says dishwasher safe because that’s what the traveling salesman said. Wash day is only Tuesday. That last rule had to change for our family with three adventurous, nature loving, dirt digging, tree climbing kids in the house.

Everyday with Grandma was filled with a new adventure and often a new rule.

One particular Thursday, I was doing laundry in our shared kitchen. Farm kitchen laundry is a beast of its own and Grandma and I had worked through our differences about her idea of a single laundry day. Grandma feistily walked into the kitchen and wagged her finger at me. The finger wagging was the universal Grandma sign that a scolding was coming. So that finger wagged and she looked me straight in the eyes and said, “My mother always said, no sewing on Ascension Day!” Then she left. I stood there mouth gaping and bewildered.

Unbeknownst to me, that particular day was Ascension Day. Growing up in a small country church, I knew exactly what that was. It was the day Jesus ascended into heaven after he had risen from the grave.

Honestly, I never paid attention to that day on the calendar until Grandma made her proclamation about it. It seemed so odd. Why no sewing on Ascension Day? I guess she equated folding laundry with sewing that day. Then I realized that I sew for fun and only occasionally.

Florence (Grandma’s Mom), Grandma, & Pop

Grandma and her mom, both being farmwives, sewed out of necessity. There were pants to be hemmed, buttons to be attached and holes to patch. Sewing was something they had to do. Was their focus on Ascension Day to take a break from the work and reflect on the greatest work that God did? Were they Praising God after the ascension just like the disciples in Luke 24?

When he (Jesus) had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God. - Luke 24:50-53

I wish it was the reason. In reality, Grandma was Pennsylvania Dutch. If there was ever any doubt, you could taste it in her food. She used both the spices, salt and pepper! Respecting Ascension Day as a high holy day, with superstitions running high, women reminded each other there was no sewing on Ascension Day. That’s why I got that finger wag in the kitchen while folding laundry.

Guess what? Today is Ascension Day.

Superstition aside, Grandma played by the rules. She didn’t sew on Ascension Day. Jesus broke the rules. It’s why Ascension Day exists.

Let’s break the rules. I’ll never wag my finger at my daughters and say, “No sewing on Ascension Day!” Well, I might because it’s funny and bizzare, but never seriously.

Today, I am picking strawberries for jam, helping my son with his budget, meeting a friend for dinner and preparing to film someone else’s grandma tomorrow. I can’t wait to hear the tales of her life and the wisdom she’ll offer her grandchildren. Instead of being idle and refusing to sew on Ascension Day, I am choosing to invest in others. How about you?

Searching for wisdom and asking for grace, and definitely not sewing on Ascension Day,

Jody