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| My grandmother and my mother. |
Good morning! I hope that you are well friends. I won’t lie to you, yesterday after our governor issued a lockdown until June 1st, I was shocked and I felt completely defeated. I was prepared for another 30 days at home not 60. And then I thought about it, I have a great house to shelter in, I work from home anyway, all of my travel plans are already canceled, what difference does it make if I stay home for 30 days or 60? I am well, and safe and at this point that is all that matters.
Today let’s distract ourselves, if only for a little while and share something with one another; I would love for you to tell me about someone that you admire, and that has made a lasting impression on your life.
I have several people like that in my life but the one I will tell you about today is my grandmother. April 1st, yesterday, was my grandmother’s birthday, she was born an identical twin, she was also one of 13 children. Her twin went on to become a Notre Dame nun and my grandmother went on to be a wife and the mother of 10 children, including my mother. She was a stylish, beautiful woman with long black hair, which she wore in a chignon, unless she was brushing it before bed. (If you have read my blog for any length of time you might remember that as a child I grew up believing she was a witch. (You can read about that here). )
My grandmother’s name was Sylvia, she was tenacious, protective, formidable, and loving. She was a hard worker and a homemaker. As a child I would stand by her side as she baked dozens and dozens of cinnamon rolls, prune rolls and nut horns. Other days she would bake loaves of bread or dozens of cookies for the holidays. She let us roll the dough and lick the spoons and make a mess but she also taught us how to measure, count, and clean up. If you wanted to bake and make a mess you have to clean up as well.
She took us on adventures and to church. She taught me the value of a dollar and the value of family. She taught us to be kind and charitable. She taught me to to have strength, dignity even when you faced with the unimaginable. And more than anything she taught me what it means to face adversity head on, as she fought first cancer and then later a massive stroke which paralyzed her on her right side, with grace.
I think of her often and miss her, especially when I am baking. I think of the fun we had picking peaches, walking on the beach, watching movies and listening to Pavarotti. My grandmother made everything special, especially the holidays and I find myself trying to do the same. I am blessed to have had such a wonderful role model and I hope that I can be half the woman that she was.
Tell me, who do you admire? What do you admire about them? What did you learn from them?
Thank you for sharing. Remember friends, we are all in this together and together we will get through this, one day at a time. Take care of yourself and your family. Wash your hands and stay safe.
Have a good day and thank you for being there for me!
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Your grandmother looks and sounds a lot like mine, down to what they baked. I very much admired my grandma. She was outgoing and energetic, a little hyper perhaps, unable to sit still–if she had to sit then she would crochet something to keep her hands moving. She died just short of her 100th birthday. She went through the 1918 pandemic in the "old country" in Europe, moving to the U.S. in 1920. She never talked about it.