Grandma Betty's Special Cheeseburger

GRANDMA BETTY’S SPECIAL CHEESEBURGER

As I sat in the parlor of the funeral home, I did not feel as sad as maybe I should have. Probably because I was sure that although Grandma Betty had passed away, she was 98 years old and passed quietly in her sleep. She didn’t suffer and had lived a long fulfilling life surrounded by friends and family. As far back as I can remember and right up to our most recent and last visit, she was always in good spirits and thankful for the wonderful life she had led. And then, as I sat alone reminiscing in my mind, an old man walked up to the casket to pay his last respects. I couldn’t help but notice because I didn’t recognize him. He wasn’t a family member or a friend of Grandma Betty’s that I knew of and I knew most of her friends. I let him stand there for a few minutes then I went up and stood next to him. I didn’t speak right away and we stood in respectful silence, but after a moment or two he said, without looking at me, “she was a special woman and she’ll be missed”.

“Very true” I replied. “How did you know my Grandma Betty”?

“I met her at the Sunshine Home where we both lived”.

Grandma Betty had moved to a senior living facility a few years ago after Grandpa Ernie had passed away because she said she didn’t want to be a burden to anyone and insisted that we all should lead our own lives. She said this with her usual smile and conviction that she knew better what was right for her than any of us did or ever would. Fortunately, money was not an issue and she toured multiple quality facilities before she found the one she was comfortable with and, as she put it, she knew it as soon as she walked in that this was the place for her and, of course, she was right. The Sunshine Senior Home was everything anyone in their later years could want in every way.

The man introduced himself, as he turned to face me, “my name is Hank Turner” and held his hand out to shake hands. We shook hands and I offered him a seat next to where I had been sitting alone. Hank had to be close to Grandma Betty’s age but appeared to still be fit and slim. We sat and talked telling stories about Grandma Betty, her beautiful smile, and her zest for life, it’s ups and down’s and her incredibly positive outlook on life and all of its obstacles. It was obvious to me after speaking with Hank for a few minutes that they had spent a great deal of time with each other talking. This made me happy to know that they had met and kept each other company filling so much time telling stories and laughing.

Then Hank looked me square in the eye’s and said, “I have something to ask you about your Grandma Betty and I’m afraid if I don’t ask you now, I may never know the answer”.

He looked profoundly serious and a hundred things went through my mind about what he needed to know that was so important at a time like this. He was right that we would probably never see each other again so I told him if I could answer his question I would. His question was simple “what was Grandma Betty’s special cheeseburger”? He said she had made the comment a couple of times in passing that she was the luckiest person in the world that she had that “special cheeseburger” but she never elaborated or explained what she meant and he never asked….and now he couldn’t. His question brought a smile to my face and he relaxed. So, knowing the relationship and friendship she had with Hank I proceeded to tell Hank the story of Grandma Betty’s special cheeseburger.

When Grandma Betty met my Grandpa Ernie, they knew right away they were a perfect match and married young. He was a mechanic and made a comfortable living. Shortly after buying their first home, they decided to start a family but were not having any luck. They began to think that they may never be able to have children then something unexpected happened, Grandma Betty got extremely sick and was bed ridden for weeks and although she maintained her optimistic attitude and took all the setbacks in stride, she became very weak. One night her mother, who came over often to help clean and cooking for Ernie while Grandma Betty was sick, came over to make dinner. For some reason that none of us know why, her mother made cheeseburgers for dinner that night.

Now by today’s standards there is nothing unusual about a meal like that but back then that was not a meal you would make for someone recovering from a long illness but Grandma Betty and Grandpa Ernie were thankful for someone to be so thoughtful enough to take time to cook and care for them when they needed a helping hand so they would never complain. That was an unusual meal for them because they seldom ate red meat and never had cheeseburgers before. They didn’t dislike red meat nor were they vegetarian’s or anything like that it was just that meat was expensive and, on their budget in those days, they choose to eat other types of food instead. Surprisingly when they ate the cheeseburgers, they enjoyed them quite a bit but that isn’t what made those cheeseburgers special for Grandma Betty. Later that night as they laid in bed the romance began and so did a wonderful night of lovemaking and, according to Grandma Betty, that was the night their one and only child was conceived. That was the one and only cheeseburger Grandma Betty ever had and to her that was a “special cheeseburger”. Her daughter, my mother, Lilly grew up to become a renowned conservationist and a highly regarded promoter of multiple charity events that saved many lives and improved the lives of countless more in many countries around the world. Grandma Betty insisted that because of her illness there was no lovemaking for weeks before that night and none after while she grew stronger and obviously recovered until she knew she was pregnant. So she knew that night of the special cheeseburger was, in her mind, the night that changed their lives and the lives of millions of people all over the world for the better. So that was the story of Grandma Betty’s special cheeseburger.

Hank stared at me and smiled. It was clear he was at a loss for words. He stood up, extended his hand to shake mine again and with a big smile on his face and a tear in his eye he just said “Thank-you young man. That’s a great story of how a beautiful woman brought us all another beautiful woman. Rest in peace Betty”, turned and before he could walk away I told him "Just kidding. Grandma Betty just really liked cheeseburgers and my mom is a waitress".