09/03/2026
Thankful Thursday š | The House That Helped Shape Me
Today, Iām thankful for the summers I spent as a child at my grandparentsā house.
Every summer, that little 3 bedroom house was full. My grandparents, three of my aunts, my cousins, my mother, my sisters, and me. At times, there could be 16-18 of us under one roof. š¤
There was no central heat or air, and those summer days could reach the high 90 degrees š„µ. I remember sharing a mattress on the floor with two of my cousins while a fan mounted in the window tried its best to keep us cool.
Breakfast was simple. We had cornflakes, milk, and a little sugar. There was a one bowl per person rule. My oldest cousin once figured he could beat the system by using a big Tupperware bowl. That worked until my grandparents caught on to it and stopped him. š
After breakfast, we were sent outside to play and ride bicycles and be chased by neighborhood dogs. When we got thirsty, we drank from the water hose on the side of the house or pumped water from the well in the backyard.
Lunch was usually fried bologna or peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with chips. Dinner was different. There was always some kind of meat and plenty of home cooked vegetables from my grandfatherās garden.
When it came to dessert, my aunt would send us into the woods to pick blackberries so she could make homemade blackberry cobbler. If that wasnāt an option, she would make one of the best pound cakes you could ever eat.
Even taking a warm bath required some work. We heated water on the stove and carried it to the bathtub.
Looking back, I wouldnāt trade those summers for anything.
My grandfather and grandmother, who only had a 7th grade education, worked hard for the land they owned and built this house themselves. We didnāt have much by the worldās standards, but somehow we always had more than enough.
We had love.
We had food.
We had family.
We had each other.
And most importantly, we had God.
Those summers taught me lessons about humility, gratitude, hard work, family, and appreciating what you have. They taught me that having more doesnāt necessarily make life richer.
Some of the best days of my life happened right here. š¤
Today, as I sit on these same steps and I am so thankful.
Thankful for my grandparents.
Thankful for my family.
Thankful for where I came from.
Thankful for the memories.
And thankful for a God who always made a way.
We didnāt have much, but we made much out of what we had.
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