Sunday Sharing

I borrowed this picture from my sister.  (Thanks Becky!)  It was taken in August when Becky, her two children, and two other cousins took my grandma to visit my grandpa's grave on the anniversary of his death.

My grandma, Rosalie Campbell, will be 93 years old in January.  She continues to live a productive and healthy life.  I can't be around her without being inspired by her love, patience, and silent example of hard work and dedication to her faith and to her family.  At 92, she still makes sure to eat healthy food; she exercises regularly, and quilts in all her spare time.  I have no idea how many quilts she's quilted and donated, but it's a lot.  She stays busy.

I remember when she would spend summers in Juniper, on the farm where I grew up.  I would go to her house during the day "to help her," but I'm sure I ate more raspberries than I picked, and my skills at working a wringer washer were definitely less than impressive (as evidenced by the number of times she'd gasp when my fingers got too close to the wringer).  Certainly that time with her did more for me that it did for her.

Yesterday Megan had a soccer game in Logan, so we decided it would be good to go early and also visit my grandma that day.  At 92 years old, you're bound to have some bad days, and yesterday was one of those days for my grandma.  The quilt she was working on was stressing her out.  She hated the pattern and couldn't wait to finish it.  She was tired and ready for her nap, and confused about who we all were.  Under the circumstances, our visit wasn't a long one, and in a few quiet moments at the end of our visit, I enjoyed telling her how much I loved her and appreciated her example.  

I was happy to have seen her, but in all honesty had hoped for a little more of the familiarity I'd seen at previous visits.  I was hoping to be able to share with her our happiness at bringing Gabby into our family, but the presence of children she didn't know seemed even more confusing to her (and to Gabby, who has consistently been checking my memory since yesterday to "make sure you'll never forget me, Mom.")

Later that day I called Becky, my sister who lives near my grandma, and does shopping for her several times a week.  She sees my grandma regularly enough that she knows her moods and quirks, and just the right phrase or word to spark her memory.  Becky was out of town at the time we went to visit my grandma, so I called her to tell her next time I needed to go when she was there.  When I described our visit to Becky, she reminded me about how my grandmother is still touching lives, even from the confines of her own home.

Becky told me about a girl who used to help care for my grandma, who moved away and went on a church mission.  She wrote a letter back to my grandma later expressing how much my grandma's example of faith and commitment meant to her.  She would help my grandma get ready for bed every night, and was so inspired that my grandma, at her age, would still take time to kneel at her bedside every night to pray. 

Becky had told me that story before, but as she told me again, I realized how my own life has been shaped by hearing those kind of stories about my grandma.  I remember the first time Becky told me that story, thinking about how many times I'm cold, or sick, or so, so, so tired, and on those nights, I pray from my bed instead of kneeling to pray.  But since hearing that story for the first time, that image of my 92 year old grandmother kneeling in faith by her bedside every night has prompted me to get out of bed every night to pray, even if I'm tired, even if I'm not feeling well, even if...

And I thought of how it felt to be with my grandma, giving her a hug, telling her I loved her, and seeing that familiar peace in her eyes when she asked the girls to sing a song for her.  Example is an incredible gift, and my grandma has me thinking today about how example combined with love can shape lives and build lasting bonds.  Today I am thankful for an incredible woman and a life filled with example, service and love for others.