It's common and natural to pick up the traits and habits of the people you spend the most time with. If you were lucky enough to live with and/or spend a lot of time with your grandma growing up, you probably have experienced at least of few of the following:
1. You picked up hobbies and interests that are a bit disproportionate to your age.
You made your first quilt at six years old. You learned how to sew buttons, remove stitching, and appreciate a good episode of Frasier at a young age. You've been mall walking more than once.
2. You learned how to play cards.
Your grandma and her friends taught you the woes and rewards of gambling. These card games are brutal and nobody ever let you win so you actually learned how to play.
3. There are some foods you won't eat if they aren't cooked the way your grandma does it.
She taught you exactly how to make spaghetti noodles and you have inherited her distain for any noodle that is not perfectly cooked. You're probably the only one of your friends who throws noodles at the wall to see if they are done.
4. And don't get me started on store-bought deserts.
You wouldn't eat a store pie if it were free. To make a really good pie, you have to pick the berries yourself. Preferably from your own garden.
5. When you were younger, you thought every kid lived with their grandma.
And when you found out they didn't you felt really sorry for them.
6. You're convinced that your joints actually ache during bad weather.
You've never had a broken bone in your life but you'll be damned if your knee doesn't thump with the pound of the rain.
7. You get strange looks for doing things you don't even realize are odd.
Like pounding a pickle jar on the floor before opening it or calling your incorrigible lab partner a "dingbat".
8. You were a bit spoiled, but in a good way.
A retired grandparent is akin to a stay at home parent. You got all of the attention and love a kid could want.
9. Your wardrobe choices were... interesting.
Your mom tried to stuff you in cute little outfits, but grandma taught you that it didn't matter what you were wearing and that comfort was key.
10. You speak with your grandmother's vernacular.
You have the tendency to clutch your heart and say "oh dear" in casual conversation.
11. You know exactly who to call when you are fighting with your mom.
Grandma knows how to listen without taking sides. And if she thinks you're wrong, she leads you to figuring it out on your own rather than saying it harshly.
12. In high school you would ditch your friends to hang with your grandma.
"Sorry, I can't go out tonight. I'm having a movie night with my grandma."
13. You know more family history and gossip than most of the other people in your family.
As you got older, you realized what a wealth of information your grandma held and started taking time to ask her about years past.
14. You have never felt unloved or unsafe.
No matter what happens, you can always call grandma.
