Magnolia Journal: Nurtured for Generations

My grandmother is 97 years old. She has seen it all. She’s been a daughter, wife, businesswoman. She restarted her life after her husband died and began a new career in a congressmen’s office when she was 56, and has loved her family and community well for decades since. She spends her days reading, talking to family on the phone, and doing crossword puzzles. And of course, she makes delicious food.

This past Thanksgiving, she kept saying how she thought she was losing it. She stood at the stove, pan in her hand, and “forgot” how to make her got-tos—her stuffing and rutabagas and beans. But I guess her instinct kicked in, and those recipes tasted just like they have for ages. And in the way only a grandmother can, their taste brought familiarity, warmth, and comfort.

Even though I didn’t meet Mema Pat, I almost felt like I knew her. Thanks to Becki sharing her legacy, I can imagine the love that unfolded around her grandmother’s table...just like it does around mine. I’m honored to have been given the chance to tell their story full of community, nurture, and really good food.

You can read this story in the spring 2022 issue of Magnolia Journal.