Maw Maw Norred... still miss you

My husband's sister, Lucy, asked me to write a short piece about Maw Maw's apron for her to read at a ladies meeting.  Here is what I came up with.  For those of you who didn't know, Maw Maw lived with Ronnie and me the last few years of her life.  How sad that you lose you husband, children, sisters.... that your closest kin is your grandchildren.  She was a character and my only regret is that I didn't record her stories while she was alive.... she could tell a good story.

Maw Maw’s Apron

Maw Maw wore sack dresses and aprons with pockets.  A sack dress was worn more than one day but each morning she put on a clean apron.  That apron was a tool used to get her work done just like Paw Paw’s carpenter tools helped him.  Made from scrape material, its purpose was more than just a cover to keep her dress clean.

When her marriage was young it held clothes pins for easy access, eggs from the hen house, tomatoes from the garden and blackberries.  Tucked in its pockets was a handkerchief to wipe noses, the house key when she walked to visit family or friends, her sweet gum toothbrush, a small tin of snuff, and the obituaries clipped from the newspaper to show Paw Paw when he got home from work.

When she was older her apron pockets held treats for the grandbabies, the pass Sunday church bulletin and a pencil so she could do her puzzle books. 

Her aprons played many roles.  They were a basket to carry things, a pot holder for hot pans, a mask to hide tears from children, and a monster to chickens in the garden. 

Most important they were a symbol of a hard working woman who loved her family.