Delicious, Nutritious, and Make Us Ambitious
My Grandmother, Mae Chronister, was very special to me. She lived to be 103 and had a full and active life. The title of this blog post was a phrase I heard her say innumerable times, and I still think of it often when I sit down to eat.
My grandmother was in charge of feeding all the children at an elementary school, and she was fantastic at it. Far from just being the lunch lady, she was an institution. Every student knew her personally, and she knew every one of their names. Each student knew that she cared for them and that it was important that they eat a healthy meal so they could do well in school and be successful.
As I remember it, her catchphrase about her food was that it was “Delicious, Nutritious, and will Make Us Ambitious.” Every student heard this all the time, and it is the kind of simple and memorable phrase that can stick with us and inspire us. She used this to remind her students to “eat up” and to let them know that the food was there to help them out.
We all know those important people in every school who are critical to setting the tone and creating a space where everyone feels safe and where they belong. Band directors are very important in the lives of their students, as are positive and inspiring staff members. We need to make sure that our attitude and the tone we create for our teams has impact that reaches beyond our rehearsals.
After my grandmother retired from her work at the school, she kept giving back by leading tours of senior citizens all over the country. She spent hours researching and preparing information to keep them engaged as they traveled along the road in packed buses. She loved to talk and once told a story about mixing up her medicine that was so funny that the bus driver actually had to pull over to the side of the highway for safety!
I remember clearly the big party our family held for her 100th birthday. She was in good mental and physical health and was able to celebrate completely with everyone who flew in from all over to attend. The picture which accompanies this post is a picture from that day. You can see that so many relatives flew in that we had to wear name tags so we could all remember each other. (And it’s remarkable how little I’ve changed!?!)
I cherish my memories of my grandmother and am thankful for the example she set for me. When I got accepted to march with the Phantom Regiment just before the season began when I was 19, she somehow found the money to make this possible for me. I always felt I was her favorite, though looking back it’s possible she made everyone feel that way. Certainly every student who came through her lunch line looked forward to saying hello to her personally and knowing that she cared for them. May we all be inspired by this example of a life well lived.
Tim Hinton
March 24, 2022
