Happy Birthday Papaw

My grandfather was blind, but he was not disabled.  There were certainly things that he was not able to do, like drive a car, paint a picture, or thread a needle but I never thought of him as disabled.  My Papaw was my father figure.  I loved him so much and still miss him terribly.  He was the finest man I’ve ever known.  Papaw was compassionate.  He was strong and slow to anger.

Papaw loved his wife, his family, his church and his community.   He and my grandmother had raised their three children in the small town of Holdenville in southeast Oklahoma.   From my young perspective,  I thought they were icons in this small world.  I still think so today.  It seemed everyone in town knew my grandparents and I was so proud.

Papaw was a man of God.  He would read his Bible every day.  The Braille Bible took an entire book case and occupied a prominent place next to Papaw’s chair in the living room.  He would sometimes read to me from this Bible.  I was fascinated to watch his fingers move knowingly across the thick pages of the oversized book in his lap as he slowly read to me.  I felt proud and amazed that he had this special ability to discern meaning from bumps on a page.  When I closed my eyes and ran my fingers over the page all I felt were bumps.

Papaw was also Hard of Hearing.  He wore black plastic rimmed glasses which held his hearing aids.  Of course the frames had no lenses.  Their main purpose was to hold the hearing aids and help protect his face from the occasional cabinet door or other unseen obstacle.  I remember many a child poking their little fingers through the empty lenses, trying to reconcile eye glasses for a blind man.

It seemed to me that Papaw’s blindness brought him closer to God.  Sometime in the early 80’s, my grandmother was having issues with her sight.  I drove to Holdenville to bring them to Oklahoma City for her appointment at Dean McGee Eye Institute so was there when the doctor came in.  He asked my grandmother several questions and was quickly able to resolve the issue.  He then turned his attention to my grandfather.

He asked Papaw when he became blind and what caused it.  I felt the doctor’s excitement and Mamaw’s, too.  It seems the doctor really thought that something might me done for my grandfather.  Papaw stopped the doctor in mid sentence.  He explained that he had made a deal with God.  If God would give Papaw Peace in his heart and a good life, he would be satisfied.  That was the end of discussion.

I've thought a lot about that day.  I think it showed strong faith and courage from my grandfather.  He took what some would call a tragedy and made a good and full life in spite of his blindness or maybe because of it.  I felt that day in the doctor’s office that Papaw rejoiced in his blindness.

My grandfather loved life.  He was eager for new experiences and to try new cuisines.  We took many family vacations together.  The summer after I graduated high school, we travelled to Germany to visit my uncle and his family.  Every Easter, my family would have a picnic at Lincoln Park in Oklahoma City and then go either to the Zoo or Springlake Amusement Park.  One year, a friend of my sister’s came along.  That particular year, we went to Springlake.  Papaw even rode a roller coaster called the Wild Mouse.   Having had a day filled with fun and food, we were headed to the car and he tripped over a curb in the parking lot.  It wasn’t a big deal, just a little stumble.  It was enough to draw attention to Papaw’s blindness.  Gwen’s friend was surprised as this was the first time all day she realized he was blind.

That’s how my grandfather was.  Being blind did not define him; it was just a part of who he was.  I am proud to be his granddaughter and I hope that I carry some of his finer traits with me.

Papaw loved to eat and I wish that I could now cook banquets for him.  He really loved his sweets.  He had a sweet tooth about a mile long.  No meal was complete without a little sweetness at the end.  This could be as simple as some jelly on one of Mamaw’s homemade biscuits at the end of breakfast, or a slice of pecan pie to top off a fine dinner.

May 10^th marks my grandfather’s birthday.  If he were still with me today, I know what I would prepare for him.  This is my favorite dessert and I think he would agree.

I start this dish of sweetness with a sheet of puff pastry.  I cut the sheet into triangles and brush the top with an egg wash and some raw sugar.  I then bake them in a 425 degree oven for about 15 minutes or until they are golden brown on top.

I use a package of frozen dark unsweetened cherries.  I find using a sauté pan works well for this part.  I heat the cherries until they start giving off some of their sweet juice, then I turn the heat down and just let the juice reduce and thicken.

While the cherries are cooking, I whip some heavy cream.  I add some sugar and amaretto to the cream for a bit of extra flavor.  When the cherry juice has thickened a little I take the pan off the heat and add a couple of pours of brandy.  Using a match, I light the brandy and let it flame, then put in back on the fire and let the brandy reduce and become one with the cherries.

The presentation is pretty simple.  The triangles of pastry are first on the plate covered by a few spoonfuls of cherries.  A mound of whipped cream for the top and finally I drizzle a bit of the ruby red cherry juice over the fluffy white cloud for a final flourish of color.

Though Papaw wouldn’t be able to see this dessert with his eyes, he would see it through my grandmother’s description of it.  I believe he would smile and taste my love for him with every spoonful.  Happy Birthday Papaw, I love you.