I have no fun photos to post, but I do have something fun to share. . .
We took my 85 year old grandmother out to lunch today. On our way to pick her up I told the boys to be thinking about a question they would want to ask her, something they would want to know about her - anything at all. It ended up that my two nephews and niece joined us as well. As we waiting for our food to arrive, I asked the boys to go ahead and ask her and it started a very interesting and fun conversation, with one question being asked after another. Here is what I learned about her today . . .
- She had 9 siblings (knew that), but Grace was her favorite sister and Eddie was her favorite brother.
- The most daring thing she every did was ride a roller coaster, and once she did she was hooked. She said she "never wanted to get off".
- She has only traveled the South/East Coast between Maryland and Florida. Made me feel very blessed to have the opportunity to travel this beautiful country on a regular basis.
- When Jared asked her about the war she lit up and talked about going to the USO dances every weekend- (with a chaperon of course). She said that was her contribution to the war. Did I mention she has a pretty spunky sense of humor?
- She always has to have something sweet after she eats. Today she added just a bit of grape jelly to the last bite of her pancakes and that did the trick. I suppose I have her to thank for this vice of mine.
Many years ago I gave her a journal and wrote questions in it for her to answer. I created a mini album full of photos and her stories (but sadly, have still not quite completed it). It is a treasure to me.
Our children are growing up in a selfish world where they need to be entertained every second. Relationships tend to get lost in the pace of their (our) lives. I am trying, in small ways surely, to teach them that it's not about them. It is not an easy thing to do, but I hope today it opened up a little window for them to see what they are missing right in front of them.
I hope you are all enjoying time with your families this season!
5 comments:
I love that you are trying to teach your children the importance of relationships and your grandmother sounds a delight!
jenni- i LOVE this post. and so agree with your thoughts on today's world.
oh man i would have asked her a MILLION questions about the USO dances. i'm obsessed with that time period...
Such a sweet story. Thank you for sharing it...
Louise
Hello Jenni,
Thanks for sharing this heartwarming post, it reminds of just how important family is in our lives.
Smiles, Paula
I loved reading about this sweet time with your grandmother. I told my husband this week that so many are turning into electronic zombies and are so plugged in, even at family events. You wrote such a good reminder that there are such fascinating stories waiting to be told if we just engage and ask them to be told.
My husband and his brothers were so surprised to hear their dad telling WWII stories several years ago. They didn't know it was okay to ask about it!
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