I recently saw a meme on Facebook about Granny panties.  I have no idea who posted it, or even where it originated from.  To whomever designed it, I offer kudos.

Kudos because they have a point.  If you stop and think about it, there is a certain correlation to the underwear we put on now, to those shiny oversized drawers our grandmas used to wear.  (And in some cases, still do.)

granny in the garden

Today’s Underwear

As time passed, we went from shiny undies that reached from the top of our legs to the top of our waist, to hip hugger, bikini and thong. 

If you think about it, around the time the waistbands of our underwear began to shorten, so did our knowledge of home skills. 

Grandma still wore her granny panties as she raised children, planted a garden, fed the chickens, cooked three meals a day, cleaned the home, and did laundry.  And did it with a song in her heart and a smile on her face.

Our first pair of underwear that fit below the waist felt scandalous, but also felt deliciously secretive.  Instead of doing chores at home, we were going to school, working, shopping, or having ice cream sodas with friends, while we giggled over boys.

apple pie

Grandma, on the other hand, was looking out the window as she washed dishes by hand, tossed the throw rugs over the lines to beat the dust out, hoed her garden and darned socks, all while wearing her granny panties.

In the mid 60’s, the waistline of the undies dropped significantly, and were called ‘bikini’.  Instead of cooking dinner, we were out protesting the war, growing our hair long, and flashing the peace symbol anywhere and everywhere. 

Back on the home front, Grandma was canning the harvest, making hog’s head cheese from the pig Grandpa just processed, wrapping meat, putting in vegetables for her fall garden, and letting a pie cool on the window sill.

fresh snapped peas

Strings? Really?

Then our undies became not much more than strings.  We are holding down one full time job and a part time one, just to pay for the shoes in our closet. 

There is a phone in one hand, and our preferred communication style consists of a cartoon drawing of a yellow face that comes with multiple facial expressions.  Our thumbs on a tiny keyboard move at lightning speed, while the bonds of relationships grind to a painful halt.

In a small house on a few acres, sits grandma.  She is on the porch, in a rocker, shelling fresh peas.  Beside her and across from her, are a couple of friends who have stopped by for a visit and to help.  They are laughing – giggling like school girls at the antics they got up to when they were young women.

Recipes are discussed, the state of the world today is met with head shakes, and the joys of grandchildren echo through the air like music. And all the while, the bonds of friendship are getting deeper, and growing stronger with each moment that passes and each word spoken.

baking ingredients for cookies

Granny Panties in Today’s World

We have all seen a sign or heard the phrase, “Pull your big girl panties up”.  There are other signs that take on some form of this message, but it all means about the same thing.  It is time to grow up and quit whining.

I imagine, if you gave this phrase even a passing thought, the image was of one of granny panties.  And if you think about it even more, that is the image you probably should have.

how to rock it with granny panties

I am not saying Grandma didn’t complain.  But she was wise enough to know that all the whining in the world wasn’t going to get the garden tended, the house cleaned or dinner on the table. 

Grandma had a full life, even if it could sometimes be tough.  When she did have some down time, she had a deeper appreciation for it, and used it to do the things she loved – like making handmade gifts.  And as she made those gifts, she prayed for the one who would receive them.

Instead of whining, Grandma was probably doing all of her chores with a thankful heart.  She loved her home, counted her blessings, and enjoyed knowing she was rich in blessings, if not monetary and material things.

Christmas tree and gifts

A Christmas Gift of Yore

Growing up, my aunts, Dot and Emily used to wrap a few of our gifts in decorative boxes.  My sister Amie’s was a cardboard purse, mine was a box made to look like a glowing candle.

We may have asked Santa for a few fun things, but what we really looked forward to were those boxes.  There was no surprise as to what was in them, but waiting to unwrap them was almost worse than waiting for Santa on Christmas morning.

What was in those boxes?  Three pairs of brand new Granny panties!  Yes, we had long since graduated to hip huggers or bikini panties, but for some reason, getting these were a sign of comfort.

Did we wear them? Absolutely.  Physically, they were comfortable, and didn’t ride up our…..

But there was some odd emotional comfort they gave us.  No, they weren’t stylish.  But neither did we go flashing our undies at everyone we came across.

Looking back, I can’t help but wonder if the emotional link didn’t trace back across the decades to a simpler, more even paced time.

hands of a woman knitting

Rock It in Your Granny Panties

With the world seeming to have flipped on its axis, maybe it really is time to pull up our granny panties.  Maybe we need to step back in time and take a slower approach to life.  Learn a few new (to us) skills.  Be less reliant on technology, and more reliant on our own abilities.

Wondering what a few of those skills are that brought contentment to Granny and her panties?  Try your hand at a few of these:

vintage table cloths on a clothesline

Now Pull Up your Granny Panties

Just in case, if you don’t own any granny panties, but want to take pulling them up to the next – literal – level, just order you some here. I promise you, they are comfortable, and can add a whole new layer to becoming the Powerhouse Woman you know you can be!

Julie Murphree is a blogger, newspaper columnist, and speaker on all things ‘Living a Simple Life on the Farm’. She is the author of \\\'The Farm Wife – Living a Simple Life on the Farm. She and her husband have 60 acres in NW Louisiana where they actively work on living as sustainable as possible.

15 Comments

  1. An amusing post yet filled with all kinds of truth. I’m so glad I never made it all the way down the line and am quite comfortable with my granny bloomers . My MIL was complaining because when she moved to my house, she was required to wear underwear. One frustrating day I asked her, “What is it you don’t understand about being a woman? We go from diapers to Kotex to Depends.”
    As Queen Vic once said, “We are not amused.”

    1. Oh, Sandra! I am laughing so hard at your comment! I agree with you 100%. Your MIL must be a HOOT!!! Thank you for the kind words about the post. You just made it worth all the time it took to write it!!!

  2. Thank you Julie!
    Enjoyed the post very much
    Perfect time to share ❤️

    1. You are welcome, Grace! I am so glad you enjoyed it!

  3. Such a wonderful motivation this article is. I am sharing this article on facebook and urging my female viewers to take the time to read. Blessings to you and stay healthy.

    1. Thank you, Mary! I’m glad the post resonated with you. Blessings to you, as well!

    1. Thank you, Amber!

  4. Thy for the laugh and a good reminder. I really enjoyed your article ☺️.

    1. You’re welcome, Cynthia! I’m glad you enjoyed it!!!

    2. You are welcome, Cynthia! I am so glad you enjoyed it, and that I could bring a laugh to your day!

    1. Thank you, Linda!

  5. Girlfriend, I never gave up my granny panties. I had a couple pairs of bikinis when I was young and thinner, but the thought of a thong?. So nostalgic to remember Dot and Emily. Loved those ladies. Love you too. Keep doing what you do ‘cause you do it so well.?

    1. Sharron – there is no doubt in my mind you still have your granny panties! You have always been one of the strongest women I know! I miss Dot and Emily every day. And thank you for the kudos. That means more to me than you will ever know! Hug Tommy for me, and ask him to hug you!! Love and miss you!!!

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