This isn’t about a bump in the road or your perfectly slicked back pony tail. This is about my Great Grandparents, Grandpa Bumps and Grandma Bumps. My family has always called the Heitman grandparents, Grandpa Bumps and Grandma Bumps. That was because whenever they would hug and kiss goodbye, they would also gently bump our foreheads together. They both passed away a few years back when I was younger, yet I still have so many vivid memories with them. There are memories that connect to certain objects and mostly their importance in my life. 

For the first, long, 8 years of my life it was just my sister and I. My sister, Jada, is 3 years older than me and we were always close growing up. We were the only children my parents had and the oldest grandchildren of my mom’s parents. During these years, my sister and I got all of the attention and I would be lying if I said that I didn’t miss it sometimes. Now, we have two younger brothers that seem to always steal the show. Back when we were younger, Jada and I would have sleepovers at our Grandma Norma and Grandpa Mike’s house almost every weekend. Our Grandma Norma also babysat us during the summers and after school each day until our mom picked us up. To keep us busy while we were with her, we would visit her parents, Grandpa and Grandma Bumps. 

Going to Grandpa and Grandma Bumps’ house was always so fun and there are so many things that come up in my daily life that remind me of them. Random objects like strawberries, hens, bubblegum, dominoes, woodwork, Werther’s Original candy and cows are things that I correlate to my grandparents and their home. They didn’t live too far out, but they lived in a very small and rural town north of O’Fallon called Josephville. Their cute, small, farm style house came with a large yard which gave us plenty of room to play. Their neighbors had cows that would hangout on the fence line and moo at us while we were running around. 

Grandma Bumps had a good sized garden and Grandpa Bumps had a huge shed. My Grandpa Bumps was a farmer and woodworker throughout his whole life, so he made and sold beautiful wood work. Anytime I see wooden yard ornaments around the holiday season, it reminds me of his art and all of the extra inventory that he would hang up in his shed or put up in the yard. Speaking of his profession, it makes me think of his thumb. While working with wood, he accidentally cut half of his thumb off in a table saw. This would always scare me when I was younger and he never failed to make sure that I saw it. 

Grandma Bumps had a garden that she grew all of their fruits and vegetables from. Almost every time we would visit, she would have us help her pick strawberries from her garden. It would take up a decent amount of our time and we would get to talk and laugh our whole way through it. Anytime that I eat strawberries now, it reminds me of my Grandma Bumps. This is not only from the memories that I have from picking them with her, but also because she was so sweet. She was always doing her best to make us happy and had the sweetest compliments to give us. She would always say, “Your hair is perfect darling” and “I would love to have beautiful blue eyes like you”. 

Grandma Bumps was the most thoughtful person I know. She had 7 kids total and majority of them also had grandchildren. She would host holiday gatherings every year in their super unique split level basement and made sure to get every single person a gift that they would love. Sometimes they were even handmade. She loved to sew and she was very good at it. I would ask to sit on her lap and “help” Grandma with sewing stuff in her free time. She had a fake hen pin cushion that was a realistic size. My mom ended up calling dibs on that item when she passed and we use it now when my mom is sewing. Grandma Bumps also always kept a huge bucket of the Double Bubble Bubblegum and Werther’s Original candies. The first thing I remember doing every time we arrived, was running to grab a piece of bubblegum. 

Other times, instead of sewing or picking strawberries, we would play dominoes. She loved playing dominoes and it was the first game I was ever taught. Grandma Bumps loved to bake and sold cakes her whole life. While we waited for things to bake in the oven, we would kill time playing dominoes. It was so simple but she made it so fun. We also got dibs on her dominoes set when she passed and still use it to this day. I will never bake without thinking of her. She taught my mom all of the secrets and now my mom bakes and sells cakes and cupcakes as a side job. Grandma Bumps was really the best.

They have also played a role in my music taste. In the background, they would always have old country music playing on their stereo. Anytime they felt like it, they would find each other and slow dance to the song. This painted a picture of true love. They loved each other so loudly and now I only try to do the same. Now, I love country music and certain songs with a certain beat remind me of them and their dances together. 

Not a day goes by that I don’t miss Grandma and Grandpa Bumps. They were truly an inspiration. They were the people that I looked up to as a kid. All of their hobbies and side hustles have made me a hard worker as a reminder that you’re never doing too much. I wish that my younger brothers could have them to grow up with as well. There are so many things that remind me of them and I’m so thankful that I have items of theirs to hold close. I wish that they had more time here to watch me grow into the young adult that I’ve become but I know that they’re always watching over me and dancing together in heaven.