Harry & Andrea

…is actually not the strangest gift I’ve received from my dad. And I’m not sure which is stranger: the fact that he mailed a pomegranate from Birmingham to Nashville or the fact that it was meaningful to me. I’ll let you decide that one. The bottom line is that I now have a pomegranate in my fridge and it reminds me of my quirky dad and makes me smile.

But it also reminds me of my grandmother who I called Nanny, which I’d like to believe is why he sent it and it probably is part of the reason. Although, I must say that my dad is known for his unique gifts. One year it was a jar of sorghum for Christmas. I’m not sure I’ve ever tried sorghum. Harry’s gotten tie-downs for the car.  Even though we weren’t moving or planning to haul anything. You just never know what to expect from Dad when it’s time to give gifts. And for the most part, I just accept it as a quirk.

Anytime I find myself confused about one of Dad’s gifts, I can hear his voice in my ears, “You give people what you want them to have. Not what they want,” and it all makes sense. An interesting philosophy of gift-giving and one that I’m fairly certain Emerson would have to agree with.

But, back to the pomegranate…Nanny was my dad’s mother and she had a pomegranate tree in her backyard and I can’t help but think of her when I see one. It reminds me of playing in her backyard before she was sick. It reminds me of a woman of determination, independence and beauty.

So, the pomegranate: a current juice trend that promises to lower blood pressure and decrease chances of breast cancer, a festival in Azerbaijan, a symbol of fertility, an object of religious imagery… and sweet nostalgia for me.