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It’s a tough job holding the title as ‘Favorite Grandchild’

My father’s mother is quite a woman. I regard her as a strong and determined person.
I remember learning a lot of history about and from her when I had a project that involved interviewing a family member for a college class in which I was enrolled in.
Shirley Pinkey was a homemaker and mother of four children when her husband, who was a Navy Seal, was killed in a helicopter crash.
Widowed with four young children, my grandmother dug in and did whatever it took to care for her children and herself.
She remarried and is now the mother of nine children, grandmother to eighteen and has four great-grandchildren. There is probably a partridge in a pear tree in there somewhere, too.
I am the oldest grandchild and have always held the self-proclaimed title of “Favorite Grandchild”
My cousins might disagree as Grandma Smith, her remarried last name, might have told them, in secret, that they were her favorite. If so, I know that she was just saying that to make them happy.
When I was 18, I had the opportunity to see Luciano Pavarotti. A good friend of mine had sky suite tickets to the Capital Center in Landover, Md. He happened to have two extra tickets that would just go unused if no one came. I told him that I definitely wanted to go but didn’t know anyone else who would want to go.
When I told my parents of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and the tickt dilemma, Dad said, “Your grandmother would probably like to go, why don’t you invite her.”
I called her that evening and she was taken aback. For one, to have the chance to see Pavarotti and two, that her grandson would think of taking her. She, of course, said yes
We got dressed up and went on our “date.” We had a great time and to this day she always talks about the time her Favorite Grandson took her to see Pavarotti. She cherishes the memory and so do I. I’m so proud to have been able to provide her the experience.
This really helped me hold onto my title.
A few weekends ago I called my aunt in Wilmington to see about getting a haircut on the upcoming Saturday.
“Sure,” Susan, said. “While you’re down here, I could use a hand.”
“Not a problem, what do you have going on?”
“David and I are hanging your grandparent’s kitchen cabinets.”
That’s not “giving a hand.” Hanging cabinets is something you plan weeks in advance and check your calendar.
I had to take one for the team, so to say. I never mind helping family and especially my grandparents. I was probably due for a little extra work to help with my long-held title, anyhow.
Saturday, late morning, I arrived with tools in hand, ready to work all day if needed.
To my surprise, there were only three cabinets and a tall pantry next to the fridge that needed to be set and hung.
This was great news because I had to make my way back home to work on some frozen water pipes in my pump house as quickly as possible.
After some measuring, leveling, and moving the refrigerator in and out a few times, the cabinets were up and we were done.
I really got out pretty easy. I feltsort of bad chalking that work up as title-holding work but I’ll take it.
Now, I know that I don’t have to do work or favors for my grandmother. She loves me and tells me I’m her favorite grandchild all the time.
I sure feel sorry for my cousins. Favorite Grandchild is a great place to be. Did I mention that I am also my mother’s favorite child? I remind my brother and sister all the time.
Bryan Pinkey can be reached sucking-up to family members or at bpinkey@nccox.com.