Strawberry Pigs
every sense
that Mimi provided
was wonderful-
the sight of her
was nothing less
than beautiful
hearing her voice
as she called me
“Nonnie bird”
or “doodle bug”
always brought a smile
to my face
the way her perfume smelled
on a Sunday morning
her warming back scratches
always felt better
than anyone else’s
and her cooking
always tasted marvelous
there was never
a task with Mimi
that I considered a hassle –
even when she would
whip out the garden gloves and shovels
it is actually one of my favorite things that we would do together
she would let me
use the riding lawnmower
as she tended her flowers
at the end of working
we would pick
figs and blueberries
and then
eat them for lunch
although that may not be exciting
to kids nowadays
it meant the world to me
and always will continue to
having Miriam
as my grandmother
was truly a blessing
and knowing
how many people
love and care about her makes me feel
extra special
I will miss her very much until I meet her
up at the gates of heaven
love you, Mimi
-Ansley Meyer
This letter, written by my youngest child for my mother’s funeral in 2015, reminds me of the years of Mason jars in the kitchen, canning “strawberry pigs” (strawberries and figs) and in 2008 finding a $3 sickly little clearance fig on the scratch and dent shelf at Home Depot, bringing it home, and continuing the tradition. “Mimi” is now a majestic fig, reaching skyward to the heavens…..
Common Threads 