Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Moments

Betty Davis savored moments and vignettes. She remembered in detail pertinent moments of larger situations, and would mention them in tones that ranged from toss-away to profound. One story is about Betty's life as a grandmother.
In response to an eighteen-months-old girl’s repeated, tearful plea for a “H-A-A-A-MB-U-U-U-RGER,” Mom feigned ignorance and exclaimed, “Yes!” while clapping her hands together. She then looked at the child’s twenty-year-old aunt and followed up singing, “There are such things!” amid peals of laughter from the two women. The little girl had been fed, but felt that there was always room for McDonald’s. At that age, she was similarly devoted to the Muppets, pronouncing “Mup!” with passion.
Betty (who was my mother, so I'll call her "Mom" from now on) loved watching her grandchildren and enjoyed their personalities and motivations.
One grandson was a gourmet who at a very early age enjoyed watching the preparation of food as well as its consumption. Mom and I showed him ingredients as he reached to stir them and enjoy the result.
Mom exclaimed over another grandson's photograph prior to a trip to Disney World, "Look at his eyes; he is all set to go!"
One of Mom's strengths was observation. She could read people fairly accurately, and knew a good deal about people's strengths and weaknesses.

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