To Grandmother's House We Go

As a kid growing up you think that your grandparents will always be there, because they always have been. They seem almost invincible. Even when faced with health problems or other struggles that come with old age, it still seems like you will have them forever. They will continue to be there spoiling you, loving on you, and fussing over you because that's just what grandparents do. It appears that you always have a place to go, you are always welcome at Grandma's house. But then funerals happen.

Both of my grandmothers died this past year a few months apart.

I'm not gonna write how it was God's plan and one day we will understand, because I don't believe that.

The truth is that it sucks, its difficult, and it creates hard questions without answers. Losing someone is never easy because you don't just lose a person, you lose meaningful relationships, you lose a piece of your heart, and that hurts. But this isn't a post where I vent about those things. This is a tribute.

This a tribute to the life my grandmother's lived and encouraged me to live by the impact they had on me and countless others. This is a tribute to the values and principles instilled in me through two women who have inspired me to live for something greater than myself. This post is a tribute.

My grandmothers taught me the meaning of sacrifice. You don't realize it as a small child, but as you grow older  you do, especially hearing the stories told at funerals and visitations. Both of my grandmothers had humble beginnings and humble ends. They constantly gave of themselves. Both devoted themselves to following Christ and teaching others to do the same. They didn't have much, but what they did have they gave freely to others. They were generous women. They always made sure their families were taken care of, often at the expense of themselves. They were servants in the true sense of the word: helping those in need with no thought to their own needs. They taught me the importance of family. They showed me how to love unconditionally. I learned more about Christ through the lives of these women than all the college courses I took could teach me.

I miss them. I miss the kindness and tenderness in their eyes. I miss the hugs. I miss the games we played. Certain places and Holidays for sure change, because their meaning was tied to my grandmothers. I miss them. I miss the love they always showed me no mater what. I didn't deserve it, or have a right to it, but they showed me love all the same. Even though they have passed on, doesn't mean they are gone forever. I have my memories and those can't be taken away. The lessons they taught me, the principles they instilled in me are pieces of them that will never pass away. And the more I share with others, the longer my grandmothers will live on. They live on through me. A life could never be completely summed up or fully honored with words on a page. My only hope is to impact the lives of others they way they impacted me.

Grandma's house isn't quite the same without grandma. Its hard to find out your grandparents aren't as invincible or permanent as you once thought as a kid. But this post is about the parts of them that are. I know one day I will once again travel to grandma's house. One day we will sit down at a table and catch up as if nothing had ever happened, and I look forward to that day.