GF Mom Celebrates Heritage with Will and Tiffany Hinton

I understand that the holidays can be hard for many. As a child my family experienced many hard Christmas seasons. The Savings and Loan crash took a toll on our family farm and we lost everything. I remember moving in with my grandparents for several years as my parents navigated a way forward. I look back now and treasure the time spent with my grandmothers. We lived with my Dad’s parents when I was in 1st grade, and later moved in with my Mom’s parents when I was in 4th grade. The idea of giving from the heart a gift created with love was instilled in my soul at a very young age. Both grandmothers taught me it is more powerful to give at the holiday season than to receive. I fondly remember that my Grandma Tippey would take us to the flea market or a local auction to buy mismatched china plates to use for our Christmas cookie platters. We would take turns spending time with Grandma in the kitchen making cookies, and then gather together to place the varieties of cookies on the china plates. I can remember her wrapping them in plastic wrap and adding a sticky bow to the top. Then we would walk the plates around to the neighbors and church ladies to wish them a Merry Christmas. The love was felt more deeply than any store bought gift every could. These ladies knew the time and love that went into making the cookies, and the china plate was a gift they could keep to serve afternoon treats to their grandkids that held a memory of love. Once again this year, we are inviting a tiny group of friends to help us create Christmas cookies to share with loved ones.

Merry Christmas,

Tiffany

I consider it a true blessing to have had years of time, learnings and meals with both grandmothers and two of my great-grandmothers. I am so grateful for the lessons, prayers, and recipes that each poured into me.  One of our humble contributions to our heritage was to name our children after those powerful women who made us who we are.  I pray for the opportunity to spend such time with my great-grandchildren.

We affectionately addressed Great-Grandma Lillie Hinton as Mama-Dear. Here in her Indiana kitchen having crossed 100 years in age, she bows her head in prayer thanking God for the “food we are about to receive”.

Rest in peace Mama-Dear. You live in us!

Will Hinton, Jr (Husband, Super-Dad, GF Mom Certified)