Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Sober Grandmother

Tonight I finished knitting the baby blanket for my soon-to-be-born granddaughter! I think this might be my most favorite thing I have ever knit. But then I feel that way about nearly every project I finish. I love to knit and I love the way hand-knit things look. This little blanket is so sweet, with all those little hearts all over it. It is a good size, and it is a good quality wool, machine washable. I think it will be a nice little comfort for a tiny baby.

I get to be a sober grandmother. I have two grandchildren now, 10 and 6. Neither of them have ever seen their grandmother drunk.

They don't look at me with those leery eyes that children get for people they cannot trust. They do not have to spend a minute or two figuring out what kind of state I am in when they see me. They just run to me and hug me.

I remember as a child, knowing which people you needed to approach carefully. I have an incredibly keen sense of smell, so that was the sense that tipped me off. Alcohol breath was something that struck fear into my heart - and you know what? It still does.

I like living in a sober world. I am grateful that my grandchildren don't need to worry about me. They can trust me to be the same person every time they see me.

God has been so good to me. And he would be happy to be good to you too, just ask him!

7 comments:

Syd said...

I hated the smell of alcohol when I was a kid. It meant bad and sad things would happen. There is a bit of PTSD from alcoholism.

The blanket is really pretty. I think it is a gift to be treasured.

Paul Garrigan said...

That is a nice blanket Mary. I think it is wonderful that your grand kids only know the sober you. My son has never seen my drunk. I'm so grateful for that.

Carverlane said...

What a gorgeous blanket! I will be interested in the pattern if my next grandchild is a girl (we find out soon). And no, I don't knit. You have inspired me to run, but I draw the line there!

dAAve said...

A sober world. Now, that's an interesting thought.

Jess Mistress of Mischief said...

I hated the smell of alcohol as a kid too. I didn't necessarily associate it with bad or sad things gonna happen though, my parents were big partiers so sometimes their best moods came with alcohol. Sometimes the worst moods did too...

I think I just couldn't predict and that is a scary place to be, on both sides of the bottle (inside and outside).

The baby blanket is the MOST ADORABLE!!!

I carried knitted blankets around with me my whole life, I wear them out to bits that, when I was little, I still dragged around for a while before I was convinced that another blanket could do the same thing (comfort).

Jess Mistress of Mischief said...

I forgot to say, YAY for sober Grandmas! So glad you get to have this awesome experience, you're worth every hug and then some!

Kary May said...

It is also my goal that my grandchildren have no memories of me being drunk, it's too late to say that for my children. The blanket is adorable. I'm a knitter/crocheter also and it always feels special to give that little piece of you away.