SPOTLIGHT 5 LEAVE A LEGACY

             Granny’s  Corner

Psalm 145:3-6  Great is The Lord, and most worthy of praise. His greatness nobody can fathom. One generation will commend your works to another.  They will tell of your mighty acts. They will speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty, and I will meditate on your wonderful works.  They will tell of the power of your wonderful works, and I will proclaim your great deeds.

        Granny always knew that I was the grandchild that loved to be inundated with family history. As a child, I’d always gaze at the picture that hung next to my bed. It is now displayed in  a special corner of my dining room anointed with the name, ”Granny’s Corner.”

       My historical work of art was created by my great grandmother, Josephine Mestimacher Harman. It is a crocheted picture of The Crucifixion. Right before she passed in 1941, I was told that she was working on a picture of The Last Supper.  However, it was never to be discovered.

       Along with the fore-mentioned work of art, hang 3 photographs.

The first is a photo of Granny overseeing the work of ladies sewing high button shoes in a Cincinnati shoe factory circa 1900. Her leadership qualities earned her the title of Forelady.

       The second photo includes Granny and Grandpa Laible (Maternal), Lizzie and Ed Ortlieb (paternal great aunt and uncle) along with my mother’s brother George at 10 yrs. of age. They are all in a horse and carriage.

The next picture is Granny and Grandpa Laible’s wedding picture. I see my mother’s and my own eyes looking back at me. The black, curly hair and olive skin of Grandpa Charlie has been passed on to me, and my youngest son.

Being an artist, I jumped at the chance to create a painting along with a professional. The creation is a Victorian Woman with a parasol, painted with shades of lavender. It resides in a special place as well.

I have 4 accents that are not pictures; however, they are a treasured part of the display.

Framed in purple velvet is the hatpin that Granny wore on her wedding day. Along with the hat pin is the following note:” Here is the hatpin that I wore on my wedding day. Treasure it. Love Grandma.”

       There are 3 shelves. One of them contains a high button shoe that my grandparents created in the shoe factory where they met.

       The second shelf contains  a small statue of a Victorian Lady. A pair of Granny’s gloves  and glasses, are on the shelf as well.

       The 3^rd and final shelf contains her Marian Prayer Book, a candle, and a Victorian sign that says, ”Faith.”

       I have not made Granny an idol, by any means. My artifacts are reminders of the faith and wisdom that were passed on to my sister and I.

        I am still very close to my maternal cousins, and second cousins, their children. We all honor the faith and love passed on to all of us.

       From both sets of grandparents /parents, the following legacy was passed on to me, to my children, and now twin grandsons. The reason that I married my husband was that we shared the same legacy.

*Faith in Jesus Christ, as my Personal Savior, and the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity.

*Family-With Christ as the center of your family, all things are possible. A Male and Female as parents, raising children in Christian Love. The Blessed Virgin Mary is the Mother of all Christianity. She is the one that God has allowed to appear and give apparitions and messages to chosen ones.

*Focus-Education/Work Ethic… without these two values, you’ll never attain success.

…….are you fearful of going back to school. The reason I love to listen to Joyce Meyer,”DO IT AFRAID, and before you know it, you won’t be afraid anymore.”

*“You are so worth BECOMING SOMETHING GREATER THAN YOU ARE.” (Sue Cutler)

*This quote from all of my ancestors and husband, ”Hard work never killed anyone.”

* Inundate your children with positive expectations. ”You have no choice but to become winners.”(Sue and Tom Cutler) Do your best. That’s all we ask. Put in your greatest effort. We learn from our mistakes.

*Finish…if you make a commitment, YOU WILL FINISH IT.

HEAVENLY FATHER: Please teach parents to love themselves enough, so that they may provide a rich legacy for their children.

-Sue Cutler

Fearless Faith