Special Memories with my Grandmother

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Many of you know that my grandmother has stage 4 hip and lung cancer and is now living in a nearby nursing home with my grandfather. If you have been following along for a while, you know that I am an ambassador for Folgers® Coffee and when they asked for me to share a holiday memory with someone special, I thought sharing about my gram would be perfect. Folgers® has partnered with StoryCorps along with The Great Thanksgiving Listen Program this holiday season to encourage families to share their memories, traditions and stories with a loved one. I thought it fitting to use the opportunity to share with you my special bond with my gram. Not only do I have special holiday memories with her, I have life long memories with her.

Honestly, it’s ironic that this partnership is with Folgers because I grew up as a small child watching both my grandparents drink instant Folgers Coffee. Over the years, they graduated to coffee grounds and perking their coffee and now, the invention of K-Cups, well it’s been four generations in our family of Folgers Coffee. Today I am sharing Folgers® Black Silk Tubs and K-Cups which tastes amazing. So smooth, rich and absolutely delish!

My gram and I have a special bond. My parents worked full time when I was a kid so my gram would babysit my brother and I during the week. Last week I sat with my gram at the nursing home and we just talked about life when I was a kid. We reminisced about the good o’l days as she put it, when we would watch Guiding Light together. Yes, she got me hooked on Soap Opera’s when I was 5 years old. She reminded me last week that I wasn’t supposed to tell my mom that I was watching Soap Opera’s but I told her anyway. My mom was not impressed. Needless to say, my gram and I kept watching together and we did so up until recently before she went into the nursing home. My gram said those times were the best.

This campaign with Folgers and StoryCorps couldn’t have come at a better time because it gave me the opportunity to ask my gram a bunch of questions and relive so many memories, some of which I had forgotten. My gram never worked outside of the home so her “stories” (Soap Opera’s) were the highlight of her afternoon, that and a cup of coffee. Ironically, it was Folgers Coffee. My gram is failing fast and I am not sure how much longer she will be here with all of us. She doesn’t really like her picture taken these days as she is very bloated from the cancer and the meds but I did happen to sneak in a few pictures. She is looking forward to Thanksgiving next week and while it won’t be the same as it has been in the past with her cooking and baking, we will still enjoy time together.

My gram up until the past couple years, always prepared a big dinner for Thanksgiving and I remember helping her bake like it was yesterday. She was an amazing cook and baker in her day and she kiddingly said, “Jessie, I was the queen of the kitchen back then and now, I am lucky I can even hold a cup to drink out of.”

It’s pretty crazy how life changes as you age. I would encourage each and every one of you to reminisce with someone special over a cup of Folgers and share some stories with each other. Folgers® is bringing families together this holiday, one cup at a time. You might be surprised with what a loved one says. This process of talking to my gram made me realize that she loved having me around during my childhood years. One of the questions I asked her was, “what do you remember most about spending time with family over the holidays?” She said, “Everyone being together, eating and laughing.” Very simple yet so impactful. She loved having everyone together and sitting around talking after the meal was finished. I remember many times, my brother and I would sleep over after big holiday dinners or just a simple Sunday dinner. Those times bring back such warm cozy memories. Memories of feeling safe and happy.

 

Be sure to click Folgers to find more information, coffee recipes and special promotions.

One cool feature to help you connect with family and friends and start your own conversations is The StoryCorps App, it helps you with ideas, thought starters, video sharing options and interview questions. Be sure to visit Folgers for a chance to win a real-life reunion with a loved one and share your memories and traditions. You can learn more about Folgers© and see contest Official Rules at Folgers. You can also checkout my previous Folgers posts by clicking, fall Cinnamon Coffee and apple crisp donuts, Ice Coffee Tips, Fun Holiday Drink and Coffee Smoothie.

This post has been sponsored by The J.M. Smucker Company. I received product and compensation, but
all options are my own. This