ONCE A week and on holidays, Randy and Edwina (“Wina”) Reynolds make room in their modest home. The goal: memories.
The tables are set, and the family meal waits in the kitchen more patiently than Randy and Wina for their guests. Home is not rooms and walls but the unconditional love and unwavering support the family members find in each other.
“Grammy! Grammy!” rings out, and family dinner night officially begins. “It’s the best possible kind of chaos. They hit the door running, and their first words are, ‘What are we having for dinner? Can I get a snack? Where’s Peepaw?’” Wina said.
The best possible kind of chaos is made possible by Randy’s decision to attend a Shelbyville hairdresser beauty pageant in the late ‘70s, an annual event known for its beautiful contestants for many years. What better way for a single guy to spend a Saturday night? Wina said, “His words were, ‘Where can you see more pretty girls than a pageant?’”
“When I walked out, he told one of his friends that he needed to get my number to ask me out. I’m pretty sure it was the fake eyelashes that Donna Stearns, who owned Merle Norman, glued on me that attracted him.”
“I didn’t even know if she would go out with me. I was working at Uniroyal on third shift, 12 hours a day, six and seven days a week, so not much date time, but I made it work,” Randy said.
She did and said, ‘I do,’ and two became four when their daughter, Jamie, and son, Kirk, were born. Despite their fulltime jobs, the family bonded as their spare time filled up with sports and time at the lake. Like today, the calendar bulged with destinations, games, tournaments, camping, and time with Randy and Wina’s parents. It’s what they did, and it’s what they do.
As Jamie and Kirk became parents, they began to understand the true meaning of family.
“When I think of the definition of family, I believe our family is a perfect example. Growing up, our parents and grandparents were always there for us,” said Jamie. “They didn’t miss anything. They were very devoted to [everything] we wanted to do and did it with love and eagerness. That’s what I value most about our family. We always have each other’s backs in any stage of life, from growing up to becoming parents ourselves.”
“The thing that stands out to me the most from my childhood and what I think back on when raising my kids,” said Kirk, “is that my parents were always there in the middle of everything: fundraising, coaching, leading by example, and from the front. Whatever it took, they made it happen. I think it’s equally as rare that each member of our family is also each other’s best friend. That’s something I’m most proud of.”
Jamie said, “I have so many great childhood memories, but one of my most valued memories is when my dad and I got baptized together. You could always count on my mom to get us to church anytime the doors were opened, and I think that played a huge role in our lives and taught us true morals and values.”
When the grandchildren came along, the love and the memories multiplied again.
“I just love watching them do anything and everything they love to do, whether it be sports, acting silly, dancing, laughing — whatever they love to do,” said Wina. “I love collecting special treats for them, too.”
Parenting is more stressful than grandparenting, as most grandparents know. But Randy and Wina made room in their stressful lives for their children, which is shared today with their grandchildren.
“You just don’t seem to have as much time with your children when you’re a father. That’s the reason I coached Jamie in softball and Kirk in baseball and went to the lake on weekends when we weren’t in a baseball or soccer tournament so that I could spend quality time with them,” Randy said. “As their Peepaw, I have the most beautiful and athletic grandbabies you could wish for, with another one on the way. They will steal your heart. Grammy and I spoil them and send them home!”
What’s the square root of Reynolds family math?
“When I think of my grandparents, I think of all the memories we made at their house, and I try to do the same for them,” said Wina. “It was mainly around the table eating dinner or lunch, which is why it’s so important for me because I come from a family of really good cooks. I guess our love language is food. I hope they always remember how much love I put into the food just for them. And I hope they remember this and pass it on to their children.”
The thread of faith is woven throughout the family’s story, a golden cord in a tapestry of love.
Wina said, “Both of my children and three of my grandchildren have been baptized. My hope is that they all know that God and Jesus love them, know where they came from, and know who they go to when they have troubles. We talk a lot about prayer around here, so I hope they keep the faith instilled in them for the rest of their lives.”
As they leave family dinner each week, one by one, they stop to hug and kiss Grammy goodbye. They take the love of family wherever they go, drawing on it when needed, like a sizeable bank account left by a dear relative, and depositing more into it with every breath.
Randy said, “We raised a beautiful family together that I wouldn’t trade for anything in the world. To all my babies, Peepaw loves you!” GN
