Hi Jen. This is very evocative, nostalgia love, security runs through this piece Interestingly, I'm in the process of writing about my own Nanny (Grandma) a childhood memory, so it plopped into my mail box just at the right moment, as I sip coffee too. Synchronicity never fails to amaze me
Will do, and thankyou.. Overall I'm trying to piece together just how amazing our Grandmothers are, as carriers of ancient wisdom within the context of loss. My Nan was very much my saviour! Unfortunately, at least in Western Culture, we tend to denigrate our Elders when they have so.much to share, as Wisdom Keepers, and we have so much to learn from them.. I am a Grandmother, and yet have been told 'I should know better!' Hey ho!
Writing it all helps. I actually wrote this for my niece and nephews to read as they are now sharing those moments with my mom, their grandmother. Respect for elders, that too, is a heritage that needs to be passed down. If you write it now, it will be good for your children and their children to read.
Alert: This comment moves onto a bit of a heavy tangent.
That you're writing this for your niece and nephews is wonderful.
So that through your lens they can see the value of the relationship with their grandmother.
Having this, they'll hopefully see more in the conversations with her; in her very presence with them.
Perhaps even be able to dig deeper into her wisdom, asking questions, seeking for more time with her.
Ever since I started working in coffee, several times I have seen variations on the theme: one can only extract value when they are able to see it.
Coffee grows naturally only in particular places in the world, most of them along the coffee belt (tropics)
But a lot of it (probably most) is consumed away from these areas. Definitely most of the economic value is enjoyed away from the regions where it grows.
For my country it is because it was historically a cash crop. And no further value was seen initially, away from the coffee being sold as cherries, or as green beans.
But someone somewhere is extracting value from the beverage, the caffeine, the commodity trading, and even futures trading.
As you hint on, many of the people finding value in coffee don't even know what the plant looks like.
But they can see the value. They saw it a long time ago. And in both scrupulous and unscrupulous ways, extracted it.
The question is always important: what do you see?
A tangent but a very important and relevant one, Susanna. Thank you for pointing this out.
I completely agree with you. Value depends on what someone sees and what someone sees depends on the education that person has about a crop's valuation in the bigger world.
That is also the sad thing about agriculture. For the most part, where these beautiful things are grown, the resources are dire and processing of the crops to its top value is not done in those areas. So, as you said, they are purchased as cherries at a far lower price from the farmers themselves and the larger sums are collected by the ones farther down the line.
I wonder sometimes whether the many programs, policies (initiated at global, regional levels) to correct these situations fail because the producers need to find agency to turn these situations around for themselves.
With my maternal grandparents, it was visiting at Christmas. I have vague memories of my great grandmother, who passed away when I was 5. (I never knew my paternal great grandmother, nor did my dad, as she passed away 5 months before he was born). There are one or two photos of me in my grandparents living room, standing in front of their tree, with my mum, and my aunt in the background.
With my paternal grandparents, it was staying in the little cottage they lived in, that my dad grew up in. One of my stories is about my dad and friend’s making an illicit night time expedition to the local ruined castle. The cottage had pretty much not altered since it was built, in the late 1800s-early 1900s. No bathroom, tin bath on a nail outside the back door. Chamber pots in the two bedrooms, outside WC, complete with spiders. Granddad’s tool and garden shed on the other side of the washing green, the flower garden to the side of the cottage. Proper old cast iron range in the kitchen. Z braced doors with thumb latches. I have a few photos, me as a baby, with each of my grandparents individually, one of my Nan chasing me with my dolls pram, and a “tea” party with some of the neighbourhood kids, with granddad in his pub chair (his sister and her husband had retired from running the village pub), and Timmy the dog in the background. My paternal granddad taught my sister and I to play cribbage, which I’ve sadly long forgotten, but there is a local group I can go to, so I can relearn it,
Oh so cool! I am so happy you already wrote something about your grandmother and the memories you shared here sounds dreamy. Loved how it also included unique scents with it too.
This such a delicately beautiful piece. It just reminded me of next door neighbours who had a cherry tree in their back yard. All of a sudden I was a child again, hopping across the hot concrete to be handed a bowl of black-ripe cherries over the fence! Plus I learned something about coffee, while drinking coffee! The power of memories. Thank you for sharing.
Hi Mary Denise, what you shared here is totally nostalgic too! It also brought me back to memories of children in our neighborhood looking over our mandarin oranges waiting to be told it is okay to pick them!
I love the wonder and amazement you create in this piece and thank you Jen for sharing such a personal piece. It was emotional for me to read yet again of dementia taking a loved one. My grandmother was taken by it and my father is currently end of life care because of dementia and Alzheimer’s (dual diagnosis).
For you and others I hope these words bring comfort:
Thank you Beverley. I intentionally buried dementia in this writing as it is still very hard for me to write it. I have a lot of unprocessed emotions about the disease. It robs us things that we did not even know can be robbed from us.
My grandmother was very connected to the earth, she tended to a large garden and cooked us hearty, healthy meals that I did not fully appreciate until I got older. The love and devotion that went into her family is an inspiration and legacy I hope to also leave.
Thank you for sharing Jen. I think the fact that you remember it now in detail shows that you did appreciate it in your own way at that age. And thank you for your generous support for my writing. Sending you positive vibes tenfolds.
I remember those red berries on a trip to Waynaud.My grandparents I remember harvesting jackfruit with them.ahhh miss that adventure. the world seemed so huge then and excitement would last for the whole day.
This such an amazing memory told so beautifully Jen. I only remember visiting my great grandmother in New York a couple of summers and she always took me to the beach.
Hi Jen. This is very evocative, nostalgia love, security runs through this piece Interestingly, I'm in the process of writing about my own Nanny (Grandma) a childhood memory, so it plopped into my mail box just at the right moment, as I sip coffee too. Synchronicity never fails to amaze me
Hi Gillian! That is so amazing! I would love to read what you are writing when it is ready too! And thank you for reading.
Will do, and thankyou.. Overall I'm trying to piece together just how amazing our Grandmothers are, as carriers of ancient wisdom within the context of loss. My Nan was very much my saviour! Unfortunately, at least in Western Culture, we tend to denigrate our Elders when they have so.much to share, as Wisdom Keepers, and we have so much to learn from them.. I am a Grandmother, and yet have been told 'I should know better!' Hey ho!
Writing it all helps. I actually wrote this for my niece and nephews to read as they are now sharing those moments with my mom, their grandmother. Respect for elders, that too, is a heritage that needs to be passed down. If you write it now, it will be good for your children and their children to read.
Alert: This comment moves onto a bit of a heavy tangent.
That you're writing this for your niece and nephews is wonderful.
So that through your lens they can see the value of the relationship with their grandmother.
Having this, they'll hopefully see more in the conversations with her; in her very presence with them.
Perhaps even be able to dig deeper into her wisdom, asking questions, seeking for more time with her.
Ever since I started working in coffee, several times I have seen variations on the theme: one can only extract value when they are able to see it.
Coffee grows naturally only in particular places in the world, most of them along the coffee belt (tropics)
But a lot of it (probably most) is consumed away from these areas. Definitely most of the economic value is enjoyed away from the regions where it grows.
For my country it is because it was historically a cash crop. And no further value was seen initially, away from the coffee being sold as cherries, or as green beans.
But someone somewhere is extracting value from the beverage, the caffeine, the commodity trading, and even futures trading.
As you hint on, many of the people finding value in coffee don't even know what the plant looks like.
But they can see the value. They saw it a long time ago. And in both scrupulous and unscrupulous ways, extracted it.
The question is always important: what do you see?
A tangent but a very important and relevant one, Susanna. Thank you for pointing this out.
I completely agree with you. Value depends on what someone sees and what someone sees depends on the education that person has about a crop's valuation in the bigger world.
That is also the sad thing about agriculture. For the most part, where these beautiful things are grown, the resources are dire and processing of the crops to its top value is not done in those areas. So, as you said, they are purchased as cherries at a far lower price from the farmers themselves and the larger sums are collected by the ones farther down the line.
I wonder sometimes whether the many programs, policies (initiated at global, regional levels) to correct these situations fail because the producers need to find agency to turn these situations around for themselves.
Will do
With my maternal grandparents, it was visiting at Christmas. I have vague memories of my great grandmother, who passed away when I was 5. (I never knew my paternal great grandmother, nor did my dad, as she passed away 5 months before he was born). There are one or two photos of me in my grandparents living room, standing in front of their tree, with my mum, and my aunt in the background.
With my paternal grandparents, it was staying in the little cottage they lived in, that my dad grew up in. One of my stories is about my dad and friend’s making an illicit night time expedition to the local ruined castle. The cottage had pretty much not altered since it was built, in the late 1800s-early 1900s. No bathroom, tin bath on a nail outside the back door. Chamber pots in the two bedrooms, outside WC, complete with spiders. Granddad’s tool and garden shed on the other side of the washing green, the flower garden to the side of the cottage. Proper old cast iron range in the kitchen. Z braced doors with thumb latches. I have a few photos, me as a baby, with each of my grandparents individually, one of my Nan chasing me with my dolls pram, and a “tea” party with some of the neighbourhood kids, with granddad in his pub chair (his sister and her husband had retired from running the village pub), and Timmy the dog in the background. My paternal granddad taught my sister and I to play cribbage, which I’ve sadly long forgotten, but there is a local group I can go to, so I can relearn it,
These are precious memories Karen. I love that you remember all of these details!
I have a special bond with my paternal grandmother. (I wrote a little about her here: https://mirandavandenheuvel.substack.com/p/radiance )
I lived with her for a year when I was 16 and there are many smells that bring back that time.
Freshly ground nutmeg she would add to the cooking of string beans.
The early morning whiff of her lukewarm lemon water.
The earth on her hands after working in her vegetable garden.
The metallic smell of the cent coins she used when playing cards with her granny friends.
The creamy wave of tompoes pastries and vlaai on Sundays when the family would visit.
I might need to write more about her.
Thanks for prompting this !
Oh so cool! I am so happy you already wrote something about your grandmother and the memories you shared here sounds dreamy. Loved how it also included unique scents with it too.
This such a delicately beautiful piece. It just reminded me of next door neighbours who had a cherry tree in their back yard. All of a sudden I was a child again, hopping across the hot concrete to be handed a bowl of black-ripe cherries over the fence! Plus I learned something about coffee, while drinking coffee! The power of memories. Thank you for sharing.
Hi Mary Denise, what you shared here is totally nostalgic too! It also brought me back to memories of children in our neighborhood looking over our mandarin oranges waiting to be told it is okay to pick them!
I love the wonder and amazement you create in this piece and thank you Jen for sharing such a personal piece. It was emotional for me to read yet again of dementia taking a loved one. My grandmother was taken by it and my father is currently end of life care because of dementia and Alzheimer’s (dual diagnosis).
For you and others I hope these words bring comfort:
Allow
Comfort to come.
From another’s words let
Pain rise to be touched lightly for
Healing.
Thank you Beverley. I intentionally buried dementia in this writing as it is still very hard for me to write it. I have a lot of unprocessed emotions about the disease. It robs us things that we did not even know can be robbed from us.
My grandmother was very connected to the earth, she tended to a large garden and cooked us hearty, healthy meals that I did not fully appreciate until I got older. The love and devotion that went into her family is an inspiration and legacy I hope to also leave.
Thank you for sharing 🙏
Thank you for sharing Jen. I think the fact that you remember it now in detail shows that you did appreciate it in your own way at that age. And thank you for your generous support for my writing. Sending you positive vibes tenfolds.
I remember those red berries on a trip to Waynaud.My grandparents I remember harvesting jackfruit with them.ahhh miss that adventure. the world seemed so huge then and excitement would last for the whole day.
Oooo jackfruits are part of my childhood too!!! Yummm
This such an amazing memory told so beautifully Jen. I only remember visiting my great grandmother in New York a couple of summers and she always took me to the beach.
Hold on to those memories and perhaps write about it when you are ready Chondra.
So beautiful I could almost smell it and hear her whispers. 😌🙏🏻🫶🏻