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Gilbert
English 1101-AAA
17 September 2008
Sick Grandma
There was once a time in every child’s life where a cut on the finger, a scrape on the
knee, or a throbbing pain of the heart could be healed instantly with a gentle kiss from a loving
grandmother. This was certainly the case for me. If only that were all it took for my greatgrandmother’s suffering to cease. As I look back on the memories shared with this angelic soul
and the many lives touched by her kind heart, I realize how incomplete my life would have been
without her there by my side.
For as long as I could remember my great-grandma always had some sort of ailment,
whether it was from diabetes, arthritis, or the multiple bunions popping up sporadically on her
toes. She always had some new ache on her body to share with us grandkids. However, this
never interrupted her busy lifestyle. “Lord willing”, she would always be around to cook her
good ‘ole southern food for the community or host prayer meetings at local homes and
businesses. “Sick Grandma”, as we deemed her, was always there to lend a helping hand to any
poor, hungry soul who needed it.
Walking into Sick Grandma’s house was like walking into a sweltering 450 degree oven.
The ladies’ makeup would ooze down their faces and the children’s hair would stick to their
foreheads with perspiration. Even so, no one seemed to notice the heat with grandma there. She
would be busy setting up a buffet on the kitchen table and preparing homemade ice cream for
everyone. First thing she’d say as we strolled up the front screen porch would be, “Go into the
kitchen, sugar, and pick you out something to eat.” If it was a Sunday afternoon, the whole
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neighborhood would gather at the Sorrow’s house to feast on her delicious bird pie. On
holidays, Thanksgiving and Christmas in particular, she would cook her very own barbeque and
stir up some ambrosia in a bowl the size of a healthy watermelon. Out of all of these recipes, it
was her famous chocolate cake that lured all, friends and family alike, to her humble abode. A
simple whiff of this decedent dessert would leave mouth-watering vultures at her doorstep. This
was not the most appealing treat ever, but it sure tasted heavenly. Grandma was always in a
hurry when making cakes and would never let them cool before she put the icing on top, so the
appearance of a large crack down the middle never failed. She would always just fill it up with
globs of icing and handfuls of pecans. If anyone ever wished for a copy of a recipe no
measurements would be listed, a simple “dab of this” or a “pinch of that” would suffice. Once
you left her house, you were sure to be happy and satiated for a good while. When it was time to
leave, Grandma would make sure no one would depart empty-handed. She would wrap meals
with tin foil to go and send each guest home with an extra helping of her fine cuisine.
Not only would Grandma fill your stomach, but she would entertain you, too. She had the
talent of being the loudest spokesperson and singer in town. Her booming voice would carry over
Mount Kilimanjaro. That is probably why she made an excellent preacher at Union Chapel
Church in Macon, Ga. No one dared let his or her eyes droop during one of her sermons. She
stayed faithful to that church for over twenty five years, singing and preaching for hundreds of
Sunday ceremonies. If ever she sang the wrong verse in a hymnal, everyone else had to follow
right along with her, because of course, she was never wrong. Sick grandma was born to be a
performer from the moment she opened her eyes. Her outgoing personality and vivacious spirit
spread joy through people like wildfire. I remember being in awe of her as she danced the
Charleston on the kitchen floor. Sometimes she’d even change into a special outfit and break out
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into her tap shoes for the children. Those were fairly regular but remarkable occasions all the
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same.
Sick Grandma also amused us in small ways, such as teaching us about the plants in her
ever-growing garden or taking us on a tour of all her mix-matched knick-knacks scattered among
her home. My personal favorite of her collections were her doll figurines stacked high towards
the ceiling. Anyone was considered very special if he or she was to receive any of her prized
possessions, as was I when I unwrapped a baby doll at one of the annual Christmas parties.
All of her eccentric quirks and habits made her a very unique member of our extensive
family, but it was when she stepped foot into a motor vehicle that these behaviors really became
apparent. Grandma was a caring, friendly and extremely stubborn woman who would forever
remain set in her ways once she made a decision. When her sight was failing her as she aged, her
eyes would play funny tricks on her. At times she would end up parking in ditches alongside the
road instead of the driveway. I remember hearing stories of her pulling up into a ditch, locking
the doors, and turning around to find my mom and Aunt Rhonda rolling downhill, their faces
pallid with fear. She would also pull into gas stations and unnoticeably side swipe the paint off
cars while leaving the scene of the crime. She was known for speeding through stop signs on a
regular basis not bothering to pay attention to the speed bumps. I bet the local policemen had her
name engraved in their records. However the true “icing on the cake” was when she broke her
leg and invented a new way of driving by tying a brick to her “good” leg and placing it on the
gas. Whenever she wanted to lay off the gas and use the breaks she would simply kick the brick
over to the other side. I understand this was certainly a scene to behold. It was under God’s grace
that she did not make a pit stop to heaven.
Even though Sick Grandma may have been a bit eccentric she was the glue that held our
family together. She taught me several valuable lessons to take with me as I grow up to be a
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woman. She said that children of God should have the courage to be themselves, treat people
with kindness, and stay true to their beliefs. Now that she is no longer with us, our family does
not come together as much, but when we do gather, Sick Grandma and her wild adventures are
usually the subjects of conversation. These conversations usually take place around a dining
room table with a picture of Louise Sorrow standing behind her lop-sided chocolate cake in the
background with a proud smile planted on her face. It is almost as if she is right there with us.
This boisterous, free-spirited woman has imprinted upon our hearts and our lives forever.
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