So, today is May 4th.   There have been so many things going on around us in this country and in the world this past two weeks.  Some days it’s hard to keep your mind from racing.  However, this morning, my mind is in a reflective mood.

It was this day in 1970, that my Papaw Meade passed away.  If you’re from Northeast Ohio, you many have caught on to the date significance–maybe not.  It was May 4, 1970.  Yeah, that May 4th.  The day that the event happened at Kent State University where students were shot.

For years as I missed my Grandpa, every May 4th we would have to hear about that event over and over.  It made it harder some years to move on from grief from losing my Grandpa.  I realize that there were students families that were grieving, too.  I guess that’s why I wonder sometime why we find the need to re-tell sad or tragic things on the media over and over,  day after day, year after year.  At only 10 years old, I had enough memories in my mind and in my heart that having this continual reminder that this was the day that I lost “Papaw” was very tough at times.  With the recent events in the world, I haven’t noticed any mention of the May 4, 1970 event–at least not yet this morning.  Could it be that there is something else seeking our attention?

My attention, however, this morning is thinking of Papaw, which then pulls up the thought of Mamaw Meade, too, that I lost last year.  I think of how my Grandma lived for 40 years without the love her life.  She often told me stories of their “courting” time.  I loved her story of how they were married….”We had gone up to Abington (VA) to stand up at the court house for Bryce’s (Grandpa) cousins to get married.  Well, as we started driving on back home, Bryce said – Toot’s, we shoulda just got married while we were there.  I told him, yes, probably should’ve.  So he turned the car around and we went back and got married.   And that was that!”   Ahhhh, true romance!  Hehehe.  Grandma always said, “folks sure make a big to do about gettin’ married these days, sure seems a waste of money that could be best used to set up housekeeping.”  She’s got a point.

For me today, I am wiping a couple tears – and parking on some of the most wonderful and funny things both my Papaw and Mamaw said.  I’m going to spend my day recalling some of the things they have said to me or to others that bring joy to my heart and smile my face off.  Oh, the love I have for both of them.

I’ll end with one of my most favorite memories of my Papaw…….

As a small girl my Papaw would always sing this Debbie Reynolds song to me in his gruff voice and then he’d smile –
  
     I hear the cottonwoods whispering above,
        Tammy…..Tammy….Tammy’s in love.
     The old hooty owl hooty hoos to the dove,
        Tammy…..Tammy…..Tammy’s in love.

Argh, I’d cringe!!  But it’s where my name came from and what I’d give to hear him sing it today!
Sigh…..

…..and that’s all I have to say about that!

Tammy
(and yes, Tammy’s in love!)