Instead, i wanted to blog today about other love in our lives and how it impacts us. With my grandmother's birthday being a few days after Valentine's Day i wanted to dedicate this to her!
My grandparents on their wedding day
I was super bless to come from a family that had a lot of love in it. When i say a lot i mean ALOT! My parents and grandparents were very loving, nurturing and affectionate people. Every year on Valentine's Day both my parents would get me a little gift and a card and my grandmother (whom we called Meemom) would always send me a little goodie from her and my Pop.
My Meemom and Pop were really the only grandparents I had, and let me tell you, they loved my brother and I more than 2 sets of grandparents could have loved us and for that we were truly blessed. When my family moved from Alabama to Houston when I was in kindergarden, we soon found ourselves over 12 hours from my grandparents, which was very hard. To make up for the lost time, my brother and I would go to Mississippi every summer for 2 weeks and stay with them. Oh how i wish i could still do that. Every night Meemom would take out all her bubble baths and let me pick the one i wanted to use that night. She's tuck me in and lay in bed with me talking until i would fall asleep, every night she'd say, " whats on menu for breakfast?" Whatever I'd say she would have it ready for me when i'd wake up the next morning. We'd spend the days in the sun room of her house sewing or watching soap operas. We'd bake and she would teach me how to cook. She'd arrange for my brother and I to swim at her neighbor's pool or to play with kids from her church. She'd take me to the mall and we'd ride the merry go round over and over and she'd just smile and laugh!! She'd play with my hair and dress me up to go visit her family members and friends. She'd introduce my brother and I to the mayor of her town where he made us "honorary citizens". She always made us feel so special and showered us with love and affection.
Meemom with me and my brother the day I was born
I think as kids we love that and we appreciate it, but not til we're older that we understand that love and really appreciate or crave it even.
Meemom and I 2004
My grandfather passed away exactly a week after my high school graduation and exactly one month after my 18th birthday. That was really tough on the whole family and even my grandparents circle of friends. Pop was such a caring and generous man and anyone who ever met him knew that right away. My grandfather's funeral was on my grandparents 54th wedding anniversary which to me was in a way super sweet. My grandparents were so in love up until the day he died and even up until the day my grandmother died 6 years and one month later. Little old men at her nursing home would hit on her and she's always come back with, " you could never come close to the man i was married too"
Meemom and my mom on her wedding day to my dad
I think we all wish and pray to fall in love to someone that lasts until we die and whats sad is that happens few and far between now. When I think of love, happiness, and til death to us part, they are who come to mind to me. i read an article from the Washington post today about a couple who are celebrating their 80th Valentine's Day together. I just find that remarkable and beautiful.
My grandmother won a trip once to the Bahamas through her job and unfortunately my grandfather was not able to go. When she returned he said he missed her so much she better never go on a trip away without him again. That was the first time in 30 something years of marriage they had been apart.
I wish and pray everyone could have a love in their life like that. A timeless everlasting love that is all those things that we have been taught love is from 1 Corinthians. I carry my grandparents love with me everyday. I have a picture of their 50th wedding anniversary on my desk at work, a picture of them on their honeymoon on my desk at my apartment, and everyday i wear a gorgeous ring that my grandfather had designed for my grandmother. every time i look at it i think of her. Her wedding dress and shoes are in my closet, and i often find myself pinning one of her pins on my sweater before work. it never fails that i can find something in all that i do that reminds me of her. I started recording the old TV show "Amen" on my DVR and watch it almost every night and i still remember watching that with her when i was 5 and 6 years old and i can still remember all the parts that made her crack up. Every time i go to a mall i think of her, especially if there is a merry go round. I could on all day about what makes me think of her and my grandfather, but my real point is in how we love each other.
My grandparents at their 50th anniversary party
We have but one life, so we should love much and love deeply whether its our spouse, children, grandparents, best friends, aunts and uncles, cousins.... etc... While being kind to others is great, loving someone truly, deeply and unconditionally is the greatest gift.
I hope everyone has a wonderful Valentine's Day! Tell someone you love them.
My brother and my grandparents.... our family full of love
my mom and my grandmother
Great work Em. Meemom and Pop were the best. I love that you're celebrating a love that never dies, even if the individuals aren't with us anymore. That's powerful stuff. Happy Valentine's day.
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