Finding the Words......

I have been trying for the last month to try and put words to what my relationship with my grandma has meant to me over my entire life. It has not been an easy task and I am beginning to think there may not be the right words to describe what an inspiring influence she has been. So I decided to put together some random memories and thoughts. Growing up as a Coast Guard brat, we moved around a lot. So home base for my sisters and me was Grandma and Grandpa’s house. My first clear memory of going to see Grandma was when I was six. It was an unexpected trip. My grandpa had died and we were going to his funeral. We lived in Wisconsin at the time and it was a twelve hour trip. Being six, I didn’t understand the magnitude of the situation, I just knew we were going and seeing Grandma. The excitement kept me up all eleven hours and fifteen minutes much to the dismay of my big sisters who were being kept awake by their very chatty little sister. Needless to say it was a relief when I fell asleep. I still remember walking in and being picked up by Grandma and sitting in her orange chair hearing her say “Ah my Amanda”. Then she got up and got snicker doodles out of the freezer because we must be hungry after such a long trip. Going to Minnesota was filled with endless amounts of food, laughter, playing countless games of Uno with our cousins, and late nights. Although Grandma never seemed to require much sleep because after a late night you would always find her in the early morning at the breakfast nook with her Bible and her coffee. I always suspected she must have been a super hero who never needed sleep. I did discover her secret in later years. A great power nap in the afternoon does wonders for your energy level. As time continues to pass, going to see Grandma still is the biggest the highlight of the year. The next memory that has impacted me was when we got to move to Minnesota. It was hard to leave my big sisters behind in Traverse City but we were going to live near Grandma! Nothing got better then that. Plus Grandma is nicer then my sisters where but in all fairness I may have been good at being the annoying little sister. Grandma and I spent lots of time together. She took us to church and then to Hardees’s for a pop and a cookie afterwards. Then during the week it was Missionettes and then later she would take me to youth group. Thursday nights were the best day of the week. I got to have a sleepover at Grandma’s house. I did enjoy youth group, it was the one guarantee that I got to hang out with my two best friends but truth be told I was an awkward teenager. I was painfully shy with severe overbite and huge glasses (Ironically they are in style now. I knew I was always ahead of my time!) Which did not make me a confident cool kid but with Grandma, I always felt like the coolest kid on the planet. We would eat ice cream and watch ER which still makes me laugh because we could never convince her it was E.R. It was listed in the T.V. guide as er so that’s what she called it. Those four years planted the seed for my faith. Grandma is the epitome of what it means to have a humble servant’s heart. She always helped in anyway she could. She did everything from setting up communion to teaching preschool to praying over someone. Any way she could help, she did. She did it without needing praise or reconization. In my opinion, she didn’t want it. Grandma saw a need that she could fill. It came second nature to her. She served because that’s what Jesus calls us to do. As I look over the things in my life I can see how much of an impact she has had. Without her I wouldn’t realize how rewarding it is to volunteer in the church, what a true prayer warrior looks like, what a small difference you can make when you put another’s needs above your own. My Grandma is an amazing woman and I do not think there will be ever the right words to describe how much she means to me. Thank you doesn’t seem adequate for all that she has done. The one thing I can do is honor her contributions by reflecting what ethics and morals she has instilled into me and passing them on to my children.