Happy Birthday Grandmother!

Happy #90 Birthday to my lovely Grandmother Louise McAllister! LADY . . . that is how I would describe my grandmother. Lindsay and I were commenting to each other at the McAllister reunion back in July how Grandmother is still prancing about in high heels like she’s 20 years old! Every time I see her I have a greater desire to change my ways and become more of a lady. I always notice how crude I am and how very unladylike I am whenever I see Grandmother. Somehow I think I’d be a lady if she lived closer and I could see her more often. Grandmother has always been so gentle, a quality that goes along with being a lady.

I remember sitting on her lap when she and Grandfather would come to visit and playing with the veins in her dainty hands. She always had a distinct and yummy smell about her as well. Whenever I smell that similar lotion on someone, a flood of gentle ladylike memories come over me.

Much like Grandpa Anderson, I got to spend a few days with Grandmother several years ago to try to get her life history recorded. Whenever I’d ask her a question, she’d say, “Oh Whitney, you don’t want to know that.” Maybe another quality of being a lady is not poking your nose in everyone’s business like I do. Not that I was asking scandalous questions, but her modesty in speaking about love and marriage was refreshing.

Grandmother has rarely missed a year in sending a birthday card . . . and I could tell you because I keep them all! As I received a birthday card from Grandmother just a few days ago, I remembered how irritated I used to feel when I was very young at how much Grandmother would write in the card . . . but now I felt so extremely grateful that I have those precious thoughts and feelings written (in her own handwriting) about how much my lady Grandmother loves me and cares for me among the nearly 30 grandchildren she has. I love my Grandmother! Happy Birthday!