Grandma's Hands, Tortillas and Precious Memories

​“If God had intended for us to follow recipes, He wouldn’t have given us grandmothers.”  ~ Linda Henley

I had to smile when I read that quote. It describes my grandma and her “recipes” perfectly. She made the best flour tortillas on the planet—and all my cousins will vouch for that! They were perfectly round, not too thin, not too thick, soft—and if you were lucky enough to be there when she was making them—warm.

One day I asked her for her tortilla recipe. Without missing a beat she started spouting off the ingredients in her “recipe.” “Two of these of flour,” she said, cupping her hand. “About this much baking powder,” she continued squeezing her fingers tighter together. On and on she went mentioning ingredients, all the while opening and closing her small, but strong hands. I make tortillas for my family now, but I will be the first to admit that they are nowhere as delicious and perfect as my grandma’s.

My grandma passed away in February of this year and not a day goes by that I don’t remember something she said, did or made. I remember spending the night at her house when I was little and waking up in the wee hours of the morning to hear her praying and interceding for family members and prayer requests presented at church. She and grandpa were at church every time the doors were opened. They sang and testified about the difference God had made in their lives and about their daily dependence upon Him. I can hear her quote Psalms 121 by memory as I learned to mouth the verses along with her voice.

Her hands instructed me, loved me and left her fingerprints all over my life and for that I’m eternally grateful. So this year on Grandparent’s Day—September 7—I think we’ll include tortillas in our meal in honor of my grandma—a recipe for precious memories, in deed.
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Happy Grandparent’s Day!

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