A Sense Of Decorum

My husband’s grandmother, Nettie Knox was six months older that his grandfather, Bob Knox, and she loved that fact. I never really thought of her as a “teaser” kind of a person, but when it came to picking on her husband a little bit, I find that she was pretty good at it. Every year, on her birthday, she told him that she was now older and wiser than he was. She teased him about that for six months, until his birthday, which made them the same age again. Then, she couldn’t say that she was older anymore…so it stands to reason that she wasn’t wiser either. Grandpa put up with her teasing good-naturedly, even though he probably wouldn’t have allowed that same teasing from just anyone. I suppose that’s what love does. It allows a little more from the one you love, than would be allowed for others.

There were a number of things that gave grandma that extra little bit of pleasure. One of the biggest came when I gave birth to her first great grandchild, Corrie Petersen. I didn’t realize it at the time (I was not thinking about the date), but the next day, when my in-laws brought Grandma in to meet her first great grandchild. Her first words to me were, “She was born on my birthday!!” She could hardly contain her glee. That day began 15 years of sharing their special day. It was something they both loved, and not a birthday goes by that Corrie doesn’t feel just a little bit lonely, because her birthday twin isn’t there to celebrate with her. Of course, that couldn’t be, because Grandma would have been 116 years old this year. That wouldn’t have been possible, of course, but she lives on in our memories…and especially in Corrie’s heart.

I will always remember Grandma’s sweet nature. She was always kind and happy. I don’t recall a time when she wasn’t in a good mood. Oh, I’m sure there were times when she wasn’t in a good mood, but she kept that pretty hidden. She was a peacemaker. Even if she might have been upset about something, she wouldn’t show that to people in public. She controlled herself too much to do that. She was a woman who lived by a certain…code, if you will. There was a right way to do something, and a wrong way to do something. She did her best to do things right…to exhibit behavior in keeping with a sense of decorum. Grandma always tried to live up to a certain standard, and I think she did pretty good with that. Today is the 116th anniversary of Grandma Knox’s birth. Happy birthday in Heaven Grandma Knox. We love and miss you very much.