Hats We've Worn by Grace Lee

Extra-special guest blog written by Grace K. Lee!

Hats We've Worn

by Grace K. Lee

This year I had my ninetieth birthday.  My family and I have worn a great many hats in my lifetime.  I still have and will keep my first two, for they are priceless, and will keep me forever warm.  They are FAMILY and JESUS.  That includes PARENTS, BROTHER, & SISTER.  Next came FRIENDS, then STUDENT.

I was just beginning to get my TEACHER hat adjusted, when a LOVE hat fell on me.  From the first moment on, it has always been a perfect fit.  I kept my TEACHER hat, but it was not long before I'd added one for a BICKLEY FARMER'S WIFE.

Somehow I came away from my first visit to the Bickley United Methodist Church with another TEACHER hat.  The Kindergarten teacher was retiring, and wanted me to take it.  I wore it gladly and proudly for around 40 years.

Now the WIFE hat was a big one,  Some people were surprised that it would fit.  It had a lot of other hats tied to it like the tails of a kite. It took all of them to keep the big hat moving.  The COOK hat, HOUSEKEEPER and HOMEMAKER hats, also some for driving TRACTORS, TRUCKs, and PULLING TRAILERS (for hay, tobacco, fishing and later for camping).  Oh!  I almost forgot to mention my 'GO-FER' hat.  Every day on a farm - there's always something that someone has to GO FOR!  I loved it all!

After 14 years, I had received 4 beautiful MOTHER hats.  I was, and still am, so very proud of them.  I discovered that they were also very large and each one had its own set of little hats hooked to it.  My PTA hat had got worn to shreds.  There were hats for encouraging HOMEWORK, 4-H, POSTERS, FAIR EXHIBITS & SHOWING FARM ANIMALS.  Also CHURCH and SCHOOL ACTIVITIES (band, annual staff, etc)  Then for seeing that each one was where they should be for everything - there was a CHAUFFERS cap.

We had some great hats for PARTIES, BIRTHDAYS, GRADUATIONS, & VACATIONS.  The years passed by too fast.  I must say that since we were a FARM FAMILY, everyone wore their WORK rats regularly,  There were also plenty of FUN hats - for instance, SCHOOL QUEEN, SADDLE CLUB, PARADES & SADDLE QUEEN.  It wasn't long before the COLLEGES & WEDDING hats were things of the past.

For my husband and me, there were CHURCH and SQUARE DANCING hats and meeting new FRIENDS.  The FARMWORK slowed, so I filled my time with things I had kinda neglected. I still had my COMMUNITY POLL MANAGER hat, and one as a member of the local HOME DEMONSTRATION CLUB.

I had a hard time with my WIDOW hat.  My family and friends helped to adjust it to fit.  I worked on my Family Geneology, and got me a hat for WAYCROSS FUN TIME BAND.  I really enjoyed being with them,  But some of the best-fitting hats I've ever owned are my GRANDMOTHER hats!

As a result of a freak home accident, I turned in my DRIVER's hat. I now live at Baptist Village.  I have a WRITER's cap which I'm very proud of and I write things about my past.  I suppose the only other hat that is of any use now is my TAG-A-LONG hat.  I thank God that I'm still able to use it.  I have switched my hats back and forth so often during my life that none have had a chance to take root.  The exception being my first two, FAMILY AND JESUS, which have grown exceedingly larger.  God has blessed me and my entire family all of our lives. ---- Thank you, Jesus.  A-Men.