The Grammys.
Well, I don’t quite know what to say. I confess that I don’t recognize the overwhelming majority of individuals or acts being honored. And the pictures reveal very provocatively dressed young women wearing nothing more than glorified underwear behaving in ways that I find very unbecoming.
I didn’t watch the Grammys and I have little interest in talking about it. So, what do we say when we have nothing nice to say?
I can hear the echo of my mother’s counsel, “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.”
But that doesn’t work on talk radio or when someone asks, “Hey, Carmen, can you help me get into the conversation of the day when I don’t have anything nice to say?”
Here’s a thought: play with the word(s). Now that I am a grammy, I can talk about what my grands call me. And, I can reflect on what it means to be a Grammy in the life of my grands. When you say it that way, I love the grammies!
Let’s talk today, in light of the Grammy Awards, about grammies, grandmas, and women in general who say grace over successive generations of people God has given us to love. Lisa Bevere calls us GodMothers, others have called us Grand(God)Mothers…and our grands calls us all kinds of things: Gigi, GlamMa, Honey, Mamaw, Mimi, Grams, Lovey, Lala, Cookie, Queenie, Omi, Nana, Abuela, Baba, Nonna, Mamie…
When I shared this on air, people texted in a number of things their grands call them:
Patti in McFarland, WI said, “My Grammy name is Ammi. I want my grandkids to know they are *my people* like scripture talks about!”
Rachel said, “My granddaughter calls me Gommy. Like Mommy with a G!”
We heard from an Nana, a Oma, and a Bamma. Pamela is Gramela and Randi is Grandi. We heard from a YaYa, a GiGi, and a G.J.. Lisa is AhMa and Anne is BesteMor. Natasha is Bumpa, short for babooshka and Mary is Sammy. She says her first grandson started calling her Sammy and it stuck.
And then there was this: “My grands call me Geema. The heard on The Chosen that mom in Hebrew is Eema. So, as their grandmom, I”m Geema.”
What’s your “grammy” name?
Growing up, I had a friend who called her grandmother Lois. I thought that was her name, but in fact, it was the Grammy name she had chosen to be called. In 2 Timothy 1:5, the apostle Paul says to his protege, Timothy, “I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.” The faith of Timothy’s grandmother, Lois, lived in him— and was recorded in the Bible for all eternity. That’s quite a grammy!
Another grammy from the Bible who comes to mind is Ruth. My mom is a Ruth and she’s a GREAT grammy now! Ruth, in the Bible, is remembered as the great-grandmother of King David. Ruth married Boaz and bore him a son named Obed, who was the father of Jesse, the father of King David. Just think of everything you know about Ruth, and then imagine that she was your grammy!
Today, as others are talking about the Grammy Awards, consider giving your own version of the Grammys. Sing the songs your parents or grandparents loved to sing and put them on stage, honoring them and allowing them to offer words of wisdom and counsel and celebration.
As others are talking about the Grammy Awards, consider giving your own version of the Grammys. Sing the songs your parents or grandparents loved to sing and put them on stage, honoring them and allowing them to offer words of wisdom and counsel and celebration.
Next year, I doubt many of us will remember who was nominated or performed or wore something crazy or anything about the Grammy awards. In ten years, I would guess even those who were in attendance will struggle to remember who won!
Now think ahead 20, even 50 years— what will we remember? Or more important— who will remember you? Most of us will be remembered by two, maybe three generations.
Really puts life in perspective, doesn’t it? Our days are fleeting. And while we may never receive an award on live TV, we’ve been given an honor much greater.
Today, the Grammy goes to….all the grandmas and grandpas, grammies and grandpies out there who are honoring God and passing on the blessings generation to generation.
