In Honor of Grandparents

Today is Grandparent’s Day and I am honored to speak to the grandparents, great-grandparents, great-great-grandparents on whose shoulders I stand. In my upcoming book, I analyze these legacy relationships and speak to the character of the relatives in which I share DNA. They are no longer with me, but the lessons I learned from them are woven into how I work, cook, read, garden, and care for myself and others.

As a second grader, I would climb the wooden stairs to the upper rooms to read the lessons book to all the grandparents in the Adult Sunday School class at my church. They were so impressed with my reading abilities and would stuff my little purse with peppermint candies as they praised me for the promising future they were certain I would have.

It was much later that I realized these men and women who were born in the 1920’s could not read and for various reasons may or may not have been able to attend school. When I re-enrolled in the university I understood I owed a debt to them and honored them by finishing my college education. Today, I continue to pay this legacy forward by mentoring and lending my time to encourage other non-traditional students to achieve their goals.

During this past Valentine’s weekend, I made a special lunch for my grandsons. While we shared the meal, I asked them to name five things they loved about school, home, parents, family and themselves. My eldest grandson is wise and very observant at twelve years of age. He immediately said he loved his soft bed and the fact that I showed up for all of his school events.

I often traveled while he was in elementary school but arranged my time to be present on the front row for his school programs and also supported the school fundraisers. I did not want to miss a minute of it. Isn’t that what we all want--to have people show up for us?

I know the fall semester is underway and those non-traditional students enrolled in some form of collegiate studies are likely to be inundated with multiple assignments due each week. The fall season is also the time for our children to be involved in cheerleading, football, band and other fall activities. For a period during my schooling, my car was inoperable and I did not have the funds to repair as I needed to cover the costs for my books. I remember taking a taxi to the high school stadium as my son was accustomed to me being there no matter what. Don’t neglect your other obligations to just focus on the one in front of you. Yes, it is a lot to juggle!

Stay centered and arrange your time so you do not miss the memories with those who share your legacy. You honor those that came before and the ones following in your footsteps by accomplishing your educational goals and keeping your family intact.