In 1950 when I was eight years old my grandfather McCammon died. Shortly thereafter my grandmother came to live with us. My mother being the only daughter from a family of boys it then seemed like a natural move. She lived with us for the next ten years. In fact she died in May of 1960 on the night of my high school graduation.
Grandma McCammon was from the old school in many ways. She had some great one liners she would say to me. Often when I was leaving the house she would turn and say, "You be as good as I think you are." That line has forever stayed with me over these many years.,
Grandma being a farm person all her life was a great cook. A great baker of pies, cobblers and cakes. When she came to live with us there was only the three of us, dad, mom and myself. Yet she cooked and especially baked like she did back in the days of the farm and her cooking for a family and field hands. It was common of her to bake five or six deserts at a time. Pies and cobblers especially. Peach and blackberry cobbler in which one might be dared to do terrible things to get to eat. I had buddies that loved to come to our house for meals as they knew about the deserts.
Often when we would be eating long before we would be finished she would say to those sitting at the table, "Now you be sure and leave room for desert." Those words, "Be sure to leave room"" they also have stayed with me. Most all of us have at times issues with being right and wrong. There are certain times and certain people in which we just never, never want to be wrong or admit to.
When it comes to the matter of being wrong or right I'm reminded of one of my favorite Peanuts cartoons. Snoopy is sitting at his typewriter on top of his doghouse. He's writing a book. A book on theology. Charlie Brown walks up to Snoopy and says: "I hope you have a good title to this book of yours." Snoopy smiles, as only Snoopy can, as the thought bubble claims he has the perfect title for his book. The title, "Has It Ever Occurred to You That You Might Be Wrong."
While my grandmother would often remind us to "Leave room for pie," it might be best for each of us at times to remember, "To leave a little room for wrong." Always leave a little bit of room to "admit wrong." Also, add to that, "Leave a little room for forgiveness." Can we cut someone else a bit of "slack" when we know that their intentions were not evil or bad?
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July 28, 2017
Keep on,
Larry Adamson