Whether at one point or another.
Those wonderful grandparents
They have lived longer
They have learned more
They have experienced life.
They have lessons to teach us.
In quietness and in moments of conversations.
These are the lessons I learned from my grandparents.
They may be few. They may be many. May you wait no longer.
From the grands on one side, to the grands on the other side. I have all 4 of my grandparents alive at my age of 22, in the year of 2012. My Dad's parents are nearing the ages of 85 and 87. I call them Grandma and Grandpa. My Mom's parents are nearing the ages of 80 and 79. I call them Granny and Opa.
Here are the lessons I learned from my amazing grandparents:
1. Travel the world– My Opa and Granny lived in Kenya, Africa for 2 years and in Nepal for 1 year working with the peace corp. My grandma and grandpa road trip all over to family. Don't let anything, not state lines or country lines, confine you.
2. Serve Others-My Grandpa's both served in the United States Services. They are men of valor and honor. They put their lives on the line for all of us probably even before they knew we were alive, me in particular. Why can we not do that for the people that are directly involved in our lives?
3. Live life now not later- A quote from my Grandma states, "Live life now, don't wait till later to start living." I will not wait until my retirement to start to experience all that life has to offer. I will live it up until and past my retirement. I will learn and live with this in mind.
4. Love fully– My Granny signs every note, "Our love surrounds you where you are in the world." Your love should not stop when someone walks out the door, not should it stop when someone makes you mad, or when someone is different from you. Your love should not be conditional, or measurable. Love should be full and overwhelming!
5. Be generous– With your lives, love, materials, finances, gifts, and your time. Both sets of my grandparents have been perfect examples of this every day of their lives.
6. Entertain memories– We always spend our times reflecting, remembering, and revisiting amazing memories of our lives, their lives, and new experiences. Why wait till it is all over to think about what was? We live the present, we love the past, and we hope for the future.
7. Have a sense of humor-There is never a dull moment. 🙂 We love to laugh. They have taught me the best medicine for life is laughter.
8. Encourage others-No matter what I want to do, why I do it, or how I do it they encourage me. Whether they disagree or not, they encourage me. Whether they understand or desire something different for me, they encourage me.
9. Dedicate yourself.- Both sets of grandparents are still married. My dad's parents have been married for 65 years and my mom's parents have been married for 60 years. What shows more dedication? (Especially in our day and age) A dedication like this is something I can only hope to achieve some day.
10. Live for Christ so others know where I am going when I die– Most important. It is to rest in the peace of God's Kingdoms Home.
Just a few lessons. I hope to talk these on in this journey of life. I am learning daily from these wonderful grandparents in my life because why wouldn't I want to learn from those who have gone before me!?
