The Grits Effect

My mom’s mom’s mom liked her grits thin.

My mom’s mom likes her grits thick.

My mom likes her grits thin.

I like my grits thick.

Are you noticing the pattern here? It’s skipping a generation each time. We’ve always said that’s because when one mother prepares grits a certain way, the kids get tired of it and swing to the opposite when they grow up. That’s why there’s a back and forth pattern between thick and thin from generation to generation.

Until today, though, I didn’t really have a name for it. But this morning, as three generations gathered at my grandma’s house for breakfast, Ted named it the Grits Effect.

I love it… because it’s not just about grits. The pattern’s all over the place. But by calling it the Grits Effect, we’re paying homage to the original inspiration: grits. 🙂