Pass It On

[Heavyduty053]

 

 

               Growing up in my Grandma's house as a boy was an experience that would shape me for the rest of my life. We were considered poor by most but poor in spirit I was not. I learned so much about life there. I guess when you are hard pressed and things does not come easy or that often you learn more lessons than when everyday everything you want and ask for is given. . My Mom, Dad, Nana, two brothers and I lived in two small buildings with some extra rooms built on as we could. Cramped yes, but that was our way of life, that's what we knew, we were Southern country people and proud of it. I always knew what my next set of clothes looked like because I seen my older brothers wearing them.

               I always knew what we were going to eat all winter because I helped plant and pull weeds in and around the plants planted in our garden until it was time and we picked what we grew. Still us boys made our fun, we played in the woods, swung from trees, went swimming in the small creek down by the house and we watched after one another. Even though we had so little I can still remember Dad, Mom, and Nana carrying food to neighbors who fell sick. They always shared what we had and always told us that God would bless those who helped others and he did, I seen it many times. Everyone who came by to visit around meal time got a plate of spaghetti, or a mason jar of canned pickles to carry home and enjoy. Mom and Nana were good at canning vegetables for winter eating. We never went hungry, we always had a well balanced meal.

               Dad raised and killed our own hogs we raised and boy did I love that salted pork for breakfast. Dad made sure all the meat, the Bacon slabs, the slabs of pork chops and hams was hung in the smokehouse and smoked with hickory so long that not one bug would dare get on it. Mom would send Dad out every morning to the smokehouse to carve off what bacon we needed for the meal. We got plenty of eggs from the chickens so really Dad would go to the store just for flour and cornmeal and a few others things and that was it. We sold eggs, watermelons, tomato's for our money. Dad and Mom always felt rich sharing what God blessed us with. I learned early that my greatest joy came from giving than getting. Giving and helping another always gives you that feeling of a spirit closer to Heaven. Dad would read the Bible each night and pray for strength to carry on another day. Sounds like a story from Walton's Mountain doesn't it but its true

               Sometimes I think the people of this nation needs to step back and reevaluate what is should be most important. Lessons like these cannot be taught out of a text book, they have to be lived. But let me say that along with these lessons, memories were instilled in our mines that will last a lifetime. Dad, Mom and Nana are all gone on to their final resting place but I believe they look down on us boys and smile everyday because we still practice what they taught us. Making sure we help those who need what help we can give when we can and making sure no one we know will go hungry. The riches, the blessings, the gifts, the talents that God has given us. Are we really thankful or do we just go through the motions......we may fool others but we can't fool God.

[Stubby 1]

Sounds like we would have a lot in common HD. And Amen to not fooling God.

Many Thanks

[SgtFuryUSCZ]

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Thank you for another impressive, thought-provoking, gracious post HEAVY-D. 

[nannab]

Amen  Heavyduty