The Family Behind the Cravings: A Story of Good Stock

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April 11, 2012 by CassieCravings

Baby Eli and I on Easter Sunday

mamacravings

“A Williams doesn’t behave that way.” was number 3 in my mother’s arsenal of instructive quotes, right behind “Be ye kind to one another” and “Honor thy father and mother.” The way a Williams conducted him/herself was lined up smack behind the word of God. It has always been really important to my mother, and the rest of my family, for the kids to grow up with a pride, appreciation and love for our heritage. “You come from good stock,” my mama says.

My mama and Eli in their quest for Easter eggs

The branches to our family tree unfurl in Ireland, Scotland and England. My mama has traced our family line all the way back to the 1400’s to our great, great, great…..Aunt Jemima…or perhaps it was cousin Enoch. Either way, I’m sure mama could tell you in a moment. And she will tell you with great pride. We have a good heritage, by no means a perfect one, but we certainly come from good stock.

Led by a self-made business man GranDaddy and a plane flying GranNoni, my family is full of courageous, hardworking, diligent, funny, artful and faith-filled people.

My very handsome GranDaddy and beautiful cousin Julia

I crave for my son to follow in their footsteps. And even beyond this, I crave for him to love and understand the footsteps that are before him.

Perhaps he won’t trace our family tree back to Aunt Jemima or cousin Enoch, but I want Eli to giggle at the stories of his petite great great grandmother whipping her 6 foot plus sons’ into shape. “They were rascals,” as my mama says, but she would waggle her finger in their chests and kept them all in line. When he learns of the Attack on Pearl Harbor, I want him to know that his Uncle Jack was there, and he made it home safely. I never want Eli to forget how his uncles have cherished him spoiled him and have already taught him unsavory phrases such as “stupid turkey.”

Uncle Cody's contribution to Eli's vocabulary is, "Dooooodd!"

What a heritage we have! As far as I know, no one in our family has been perfect. No one has led a struggle free life. In fact, just in my lifetime there have been many trials. Through those trials our family has become more entwined. A string by itself is defeated, but “a chord of 3 strands in not easily torn apart” (Ecclesiastes 4:12b)

Ecclesiastes 4:12 could be the Williams family verse. Through my baby brother’s struggle with a brain tumor and surgeries, through my mother’s fight against cancer, through deaths, heartbreak and disagreements, we have banded together, not as a cord of only 3 strands, but of many, many more.

We come from good stock. The greatest comfort as a mama is knowing that as much as I crave for my son, as much as I fervently pray, passionately seek and diligently study, my family prays, seeks and studies with the same cravings for Eli. What an honor to raise my son in this family.

Easter egg hunt at GranDaddy's and GranNoni's house

Eli and GranDaddy count all of the goodies.

It won't be long and Eli will be toddling behind the Williams family golf games.