She Makes me Smile

 

While at the airport on Saturday morning I noticed Judy, a long time friendly acquaintance, sitting across the way. We attended the same church when we were raising kids and our paths have crossed in numerous ways.

Sitting down beside her, she said she had a story for me. As part time librarian at the school some of my grandchildren attend, she has gotten to know them a little. Around Remembrance Day she was telling the Grade Two class about the World Wars, her father's work in the war and how he, like many Mennonites chose alternate service during that time. She is so good with kids and I'm sure she had some unique things to tell them.

What made me smile is what happened after she was done her story time in the library. She told me that Natalie had quietly come up to her and said, "My Mimi is a Mennonite." Judy, sensing it had taken a heart filled with pride to overcome her shy nature, exclaimed, "Well, yes! I know your Mimi! And I know your Mommy as well!"  I can just imagine how uniquely special Natalie must have felt!

I've been noticing that Natalie's reference point to anything Mennonite  is "mennonitegirlscancook" which encircles  her Mimi and friends - whom she is so very proud of! It's how she was introduced to the term, which sounds more like mennite when she says it, but in years to come, I hope to tell her more about her roots and how her great-grandparents had to leave Russia because they were not allowed to worship God there. How they moved together with many others and started with nothing in a new country, continuing to teach their children to love God and to love others as themselves.

One day she will find out that her Mimi is not as famous as she once thought, but I hope that in learning about her heritage, she will learn more about the love and faithfulness of God and accept it as her own.