Summary

The author reflects on the wisdom and impact of their grandmother's sayings and expressions from childhood, which provided guidance, comfort, and sometimes humor, despite her not always being kind.

Abstract

The article delves into the author's memories of their grandmother, who played a significant role in their upbringing, often using colorful expressions to teach life lessons. These sayings, though sometimes cryptic, were instrumental in shaping the author's love for language and understanding of behavior. The grandmother's words, such as cautionary advice to avoid letting heat out or catching pneumonia, and moral lessons like "You ought to be ashamed of yourself" and "God don't like ugly," were frequent and formative. The author eventually grasped the deeper meanings behind these phrases, realizing that actions and character are paramount, as encapsulated in the saying "Pretty is as pretty does." Despite acknowledging their grandmother's occasional unkindness, the author cherishes the wisdom imparted through these expressions and invites readers to share their own childhood sayings.

Opinions

The author has a fond recollection of their grandmother's role in their early life, despite her harsh words and strict discipline.
There is an appreciation for the wisdom contained within the grandmother's seemingly simple expressions, which often held deeper moral or practical lessons.
The grandmother's sayings were not only disciplinary but also a source of motivation and inspiration for the author.
The author admits to a period of confusion and anxiety over the literal interpretation of some expressions, particularly "God don't like ugly," before understanding their figurative meanings.
The article suggests that the grandmother's expressions, even if sometimes harsh, were ultimately rooted in love and a desire to instill good values in her grandchildren.
The author recognizes that their grandmother was not always a pleasant individual, yet chooses to remember her as a wise and positive influence.
There is a sense of nostalgia and a call to action for readers to reflect on and share their own experiences with grandparental wisdom and sayings.

Wise Old Grandma Sayings that I Remember from Childhood

Do you recall your grandmother saying these funny expressions?

For the better part of my early childhood, my grandmother often stepped in as our primary caregiver while my mother ripped and ran the streets (my grandmother’s words).

This was the way things were, up until my grandmother had her leg amputated, and shortly afterward, we went into foster care.

Now that I’m an adult, I often see the wisdom of many of the expressions my grandmother used to make, and how she always said things that were some kind of crazy “figure of speech”.

In fact, I never really thought about it before, but maybe that’s where my love of words first began to take root.

Even though my mother discovered she was adopted later in life, so my grandmother wasn’t my grandmother by blood, I still believe the expressions I learned from her, are what helped to cultivate a love for the spoken word.

Sometimes my grandmother’s words were right on point, and you knew immediately what she meant, even if you didn’t believe it or agree.

For example:

“Shut the door before you let all the heat out.”

Or maybe:

“Put on a coat, before you catch your death of pneumonia.”

Both those expressions; if I heard them once, I heard them a thousand times. And even though I doubted that I could really manage to let all the heat out of the house, or that I’d suddenly be stricken with pneumonia, at least I understood what she meant.

But then, there were those other sayings that I sometimes took a minute to comprehend, until I eventually heard it enough times for it to sink in.

For instance, certain expressions were her go to ones. These were the expressions that she knew how to aptly apply to just about any situation that involved us “acting up” — or “acting out” (again, her words, not mine).

One of these was the all too familiar:

“You ought to be ashamed of yourself.”

Oh, and let’s not forget the ever-popular:

“God don’t like ugly.”

Now, there’s one that used to really cause me anxiety, until I finally understood that the “ugly” reference wasn’t about your outer appearance.

I was so happy to learn what it really meant, particularly since there were always mean-spirited kids available to remind me that I was just as ugly as I felt as a child.

For a long time, Grandma’s ugly expression, coupled with nasty childish insults, made me wonder whether God really liked me or not.

But that particular fear only lasted until another favorite expression came along and helped me stop worrying about it.

That one was:

“Pretty is as pretty does.”

By then, I guess my grandmother figured out that we could get the point a lot better, if she actually explained what she meant.

All I know is that she did a great job of helping me understand that the way a person behaves has a lot to do with how good they look in the eyes of other people.

That particular revelation always managed to stay with me. Thanks Grandma.

Up until I was around age eight or nine years old, my grandmother was there with her expressions, to chastise, motivate, inspire, and sometimes, simply to make us have a good laugh.

That’s what I remember most about my grandmother.

Now, allow me to let all you readers stop and reminisce for a moment. Can you think of any grandma expressions and sayings that you may have heard all the time, while you were growing up?

Like maybe this one:

Stop doing that, before you put your eye out!

I’m sure if you really give it some thought, you’ll have a million of them or at least a whole hell of a lot.

Final Thoughts

Thanks for reading and indulging my brief walk down Memory Lane. Now it’s your turn.

By now, you’ve already been thinking about some childhood sayings from your grandmother — or maybe your grandfather, or some otherwise old sage.

If you feel like it, go ahead and share some of their words of wisdom in a comment, so you can compare notes with the other writers.

Apparently, this is how Denise Darby was inspired to write her story for the Coffee Times publication, called: “Bitter Blends”. It’s a bittersweet poem and brief story about her grandmother, whom she describes like this:

“The memory that stirred for me was that of my maternal grandmother. She was not the nicest woman.”

It was only after reading these words, that I acknowledged what I also knew to be true about my own grandmother. In spite of all the love that I had for her, I came to suspect, and ultimately realize, she was not a nice woman either, not really.

In spite of the truth, the memories I choose to hold onto, are of that wise woman who once upon a time — in my young eyes — seemed to be everything that was right with the world.

By the way, there’s one additional thing I remember my grandmother saying to us, apparently, when she didn’t feel like we appreciated her enough. I can still hear her saying:

“Ya’ll gonna’ miss me when I’m dead and gone.”

Just like all the other sayings, she was definitely right about that one. Truer words were never spoken.

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