I am often questioned about the vintage watch that is always worn on my right wrist. Some are intrigued by the way it looks. It does seem to have a sense of sweet, dainty Southern charm to it. I love it for all of those reasons as well, but that is not my reason for wearing it every day.
I love when friends ask, “Does it actually work?” I reply that it works for me. This watch is actually the only piece of jewelry that was given to me that belonged to my Nanny. I make a point to wear it daily as a reminder to me of her and all the things she meant to me.
I have often thought about having it repaired so that it actually serves its purpose of telling time. However, for me, it is serving a bigger purpose in reminding me of a certain time -- a time when life was a bit simpler. A time when families sat down and shared stories around the dinner table. A time when time was all we had, and there was no rush.
I find myself looking down at it a lot. The time is still set at 1:44, and I wonder what she was doing at the time. Was she canning vegetables? Was she cleaning up after a big lunch gathering on a Sunday afternoon? Was she outside on the porch shelling peas? Or maybe she was tending to her rose bushes.
There is something very special about wearing something that she wore and remembering who she was. She was exactly who I wanted to be when I grew up and became a grandmother. I wanted to treat my grandchild to a day in the garden. I wanted to teach them about life -- more importantly about God and how to treat others. I wanted to take them into “town,” as she would say, for a chocolate-dipped cone from Dairy Queen. Nanny treated me to these things very often.
I learned a lot from Nanny. I learned things you can’t be taught in a classroom or a conference room and most of her life lessons came straight from the bible and always a scripture to back it up. I learned about life, working hard and fighting for what you believe in.
I know to some, this watch may not work like the world thinks it should, but that seems to be the problem these days. Maybe we need to stop, like this watch, and take a breath. Take a moment to enjoy the little things and the little moments that turn into memories. I will continue to wear my watch just the way it is and be thankful for everything my Nanny is still teaching me through it. It works just perfectly for me.
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