A Full Moon of Mall Memories

Today is my Meemaw's birthday (Julie's Grandmother. We had our own little names for the g-parents) She died six years ago. She would have been 86 today. She was the epitome of a southern belle. She was prissy to the very end. She was the perfect example of a preachers wife and she was our god-fearing, loving and respected grandmother.

She and I had a special bond. She was my girl. We were a crazy pair. She LOVED to shop...and mostly for and with me. I was the baby and spoiled rotten. Her excuse for spoiling me, "Hollye and Julie have husbands to take care of them, you have me!" When I was younger the excuse was always, "Y'all know Abby's the baby" (Oh, how I loved it and miss it so much).

There for a long time after she died, I would not go in the Oak Court Mall in Memfrica because it would make me cry. In retrospect, it is actually pretty funny that the mall caused me great grief. I was sort of glad Macy's bought Goldsmith's so I could lay all that to rest. That was our place, our favorite place. We spent WAY too much time at the mall, as you can tell.

It is ironic that her birthday would be on a day that I made history at the Mall at Turtle Creek in Jonesboro. I was there setting up a backdrop for a radio remote for our Hospice group in the center court. Well, it was a very eventful setup, to say the least.

Not thinking about my day when I dressed this morning, I wore my shortest dress to set up our 10x10 booth in the center court of the mall. I was aware in my mind that I needed to be a tad bit careful when I bent down but was unaware of how careful.

As I am bouncing around talking to my boss and co-worker, this random young girl taps me on the shoulder. I thought she wanted a Hospice brochure, so I am smiling real big and being all nice to her. She looks me square in the eye with NO expression and says,

"You just bent over and showed everyone all yo stuff!"

I was Stunned. Floored. Shocked. I was also mad that I had worn panties that had shot elastic on the day that I decided to moon the mall. Poor planning.

My response to her was a simple, "Thank you" with a big smile.

I turn around to digest it all and find my boss and co-worker not breathing because they are laughing so hard. They said I was yanking my dress down to my knees the whole time and then when I said "Thank you", they lost it. I mooned the mall. Yes. I mooned the mall.

Wilma (my Meemaw & Julie's Grandmother) would have passed out in the center court of the mall today. I find it most ironic that memories were made at my new mall on her birthday. I think she is laughing and saying in her best southern belle voice, "Oh, Why Abby!", as she eats her birthday cake in Glory.

Abby