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| Grandpa Bob and Grandma Carolyn with a whole crew of family over at their house for a family dinner |
My Grandma Carolyn lived with my Grandpa Bob no more than 100 yards away from my parents house where I grew up. With so many adults around to watch over me I always felt very safe and secure. My siblings and I were free to come and go as we pleased, and we often found ourselves walking over to knock on Grandma's door to see what kind of candy she had in her candy jar. If we were over seeing what Grandpa and Dad were tinkering on up in the barn, Grandma Carolyn would always come up to see if anyone needed something to eat or drink. When she wasn't inside making up some sandwiches for lunch, or cooking a big family dinner on a holiday, you could often find her tending to her garden. Her home was always blooming with every kind of flower imaginable. I used to wonder where she found the time for it all!
Looking back, I can't say I remember my Grandparents ever doing anything extraordinarily different or special than what most Grandparents do for their Grandchildren. I think my fond memories partly come from living on a farm and having so much open space to run around. Both sets of Grandparents homesteaded in Alaska on fairly large tracts of land. With all of the wide open space around me, I was free to be as imaginative as I wanted to be. Whether it was sword fighting with my brother and sisters with dead Pushki in the fall, building mud dams down by one of the creeks that flowed through our property, walking down to the beach to play in the warm shallow water as the tide came back in down at mud bay, or sledding down the luge like trails formed from the tracks my Grandfather and father would make in the field with their tractors, we were free to let our imaginations soar.
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| Grandpa Elton and Grandma Edna |
This formula for nurturing a child's imagination was also present out on my Grandma Edna and Grandpa Elton's ranch up on the North Fork as well. The trek alone out to their farm on a blustery winter day was enough to make me feel like I was traveling to another time and place. When you rounded the final corner and pulled up into their driveway, you never knew what you would encounter. In the winter, Grandma Edna might be shoveling 10 foot of snow to make a trail to her car. In the summer, Grandpa Elton might be up in the pasture butchering a cow, bailing hay or helping Grandma make a fresh batch of Navajo Tacos. It was always exciting to anticipate what adventures you'd go on every time you went to their house. At both Grandparents houses, the best part was there was always lots of family around, Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, friends, you name it! Grandma Edna and Grandpa Elton would tell us tails from living in New Mexico before they came to Alaska. One of our favorite stories Grandma would tell us was of the Scallywags. They were some little green men that lived under a special rock up on their farm. She would take us up to the rock and tell us the story and the older cousins would paint their faces with different rocks from the stream and pretend like the Scallywags got them. It's hard not to have such an imaginative mind growing up when even your own Grandmother was telling you such fantastical stories!
Grandma Edna in particular was the glue of my mothers side of the family. She was one of the most spiritual people I've ever known. She was kind, caring, and selfless, always thinking of others before her self. She helped home school my cousins growing up, she would watch me and my siblings when ever my parents were away and she was always there if family or friends needed her. At every family gathering, just like my Grandma Carolyn would do, Grandma Edna was busy in the kitchen. She wasn't just a master chef, she was also a skilled rancher, she had to be living on a farm in Alaska. Even in her golden years, she could keep pace with people half her age! She was truly a wonder and an inspiration to those who knew her. The time my Grandparents spent with me, and the unconditional love they showed was such a great gift in my young life. I think the greatest gift my Grandmothers, and Grandfathers gave to me though is the gift of family, and for recognizing how important our relationships with our family are.
Grandma Edna's Last Lesson to her Family
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| The last picture I took of Grandma Edna at her Ranch in Alaska |
It had been about a year since both Grandmothers had passed and life had all but returned to normal. The heart ache had finally been replaced by the occasional happy memory when ever I saw something that reminded me of them. The other day after work, I came home and noticed a stack of mail Hester had placed on our coffee table. I started to thumb through it and noticed a letter in my mothers hand writing addressed to me. In this age of email and instant messages, it's still not uncommon for her to send an occasional card or letter letting us know she's thinking of us. Curious to find out what was inside I opened up the letter and a check slipped from inside and landed in my lap. I looked down at the check and couldn't believe my eyes. I'm not going to say how much money the check was for, it was not an out of this world amount, but it was more than enough to help me and my wife at a time of need as we're expecting our first child in April. I could feel a lump in my throat and tears started welling up in my eyes when I realized it was money from Grandma Edna. I immediately put the check down and opened the letter.
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My Dearest Grandchildren,
From the moment each of you were born, you were in my prayers and thoughts. My family has always been the greatest gift the Lord has given me. I thanked him and asked his blessings to be upon each of you every day of my life. I have been greatly blessed.
Each birthday or Christmas I wished I could send each of you a wonderful gift and deliver it in person. I wasn't blessed with lots of worldly possessions, even though I was greatly blessed and always had sufficient for my needs. Some of you may remember getting fudge packages at Christmas. As the number of Grandchildren grew, that even became too much.
I instructed your parents and have it written in my Will that if there is any money left when I died after paying all my bills, I want it to be divided up among all of you. I know it won't be much, but I want you to know that I love you and want the very best for each of you. That in some way it will draw your hearts to your families and how important they are in your lives. That we don't have to be with one another in order for our hearts to be turned to those we love. I love each one of you and pray God's Blessing upon you.
Grandpa Elton and I will be praying for you and waiting for the day that we will see you again.
Love
Grandma Edna
Grandma Edna
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These are the words that your Grandmother shared with us many times before her death. When we cleaned out her apartment she had your pictures all over her apartment. If she didn't' have a current one she had one of you as a baby or child. She loved hearing from you and about you. She talked about and looked at the pictures from her 85th Birthday often, when most of you were here. This is the final thing that we have to do to fulfill her last wishes.
Love to you all,
Your Parents
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| Hester framed the letter along with some photos of Grandma for me for our 2 year Anniversary. Awesome gift! |
I could hardly read the letter though the tears in my eyes. To think that all these years, she had a plan to give her money to her Grandchildren as a final act of love. Although Hester and I have enough for our needs right now, it couldn't have come at a better time with a baby coming and the holidays growing near. I immediately thought of the love my parents, and aunts and uncles must have for all of their children, to fulfill their mothers last wish. None of them fought over how they should have the money, not all 20 some odd Grandchildren. My heart swelled with appreciation and love for my Grandmother. The letter made me feel as though I was hearing her voice one more time. Although the money was greatly appreciated and I'll never forget the gift, it was the feeling that I was talking to her one more time and the words of wisdom contained within that I think I will cherish the most.
I don't know if everyone has had the blessings of growing up and knowing a Grandparents love. All I can tell you is that my life has been greatly enriched by the experiences I had with mine. My Grandpa Bob is the last remaining Grandparent I have left and every time I see my nieces and nephews face light up when Grandpa Bob is around just affirms how special Grandparents are. I hope anyone reading this will think about their own Grandparents, and your families. If you have Parents who desire to have an active roll in your children's life, let your children know the blessings that come from Grandparents. I may not talk to my extended family every day, but I think about them often. To this day, I feel like I have a much stronger relationship with my extended family, aunts, uncles, cousins, because my Grandparents made sure we all knew the importance of family in our lives, and for that I'm eternally grateful.
