Someone spoke in church on Sunday about the importance of keeping records - scrapbooks, journals, in my case a blog - of all the most important things in life, the things you'd want the next generation to know. And I sure would like the next generation to know about this.
Today my grandmother turned 81. Desiree Joyce Western, my Mum's Mum. I gave my daughter her name for a reason, because I would love nothing more then for Lani to become even half the person my grandma is. My grandma is such an amazing woman. She has lived a life totally devoted to her family, and to the gospel. Everything she has ever done in her life has been for the good of someone else. My grandma and grandpa are the pioneers in our family, being the first to accept the Gospel, and have blazed a trail for us to follow, one of faithfulness and diligence. I am forever grateful for the example she has been for me.
As the mother of 8 children, her young life was spent caring for others. My mother has told me that grandma never once raised her voice or got angry with any of them. 8 children. That amazes me. That sort of patience is something I long to have and have always admired in her. Even now today she continues to care for a 50 year old son with disabilities. Once her children had grown and gone, she then dedicated her life, and every waking hour, to family history, finding the names and stories of ancestors long gone, then faithfully attending the temple every week to make sure those names were linked to us forever. I have such fond memories of spending the afternoon down at the family history center looking through microfiche on the big machines, helping Grandma find a name. She used to call me Sarah Sue. Still does. I love that.
I think I inherited my love of photos from her. As long as I can remember, visiting grandma meant having your picture taken. Twice. (In case the first one was bad). It didn't matter if she had taken your picture last week or last year, EVERYONE gets their picture taken by grandma.
Grandma is such a down to earth person. She is almost the epitome of what a grandma should be - warm, homely, loves everyone before she's even met them, finds plenty of good in a person or situation, when all the rest of us see is bad. Her house is been the one constant in my life, as my parents have uprooted so many times, moving cities and countries, my grandma's house has always been and will always be that figure of home to me, never changing, always there. Constant, reliable, soothing. She cares nothing for worldly things, happy to just have the basics, and then use what she has to help anyone else who has a need. She is always thinking of others, especially her family. And although her memory fails her, she remembers every name and birthday of all 90+ descendants.
My grandma is the type of person you just want to be around. She makes you feel so good about yourself. I get complimented more in 1 hour at her house, then in a whole month usually. It's no wonder that my kids just adore her, and beg me to go see her on a weekly basis.
I love my grandma, so very dearly. Knowing that her years are numbered pains me. I watched my Grandma as we sang happy birthday to her, surrounded by (some) of her great-grandchildren and grandchildren, and watched the tears come into her eyes. The pride and joy she felt looking around at her family was clearly evident, and I thought I could have guessed what she was thinking at that moment - "This is what it's all about". My life can be so busy and complicated, and I often lose sight of what really matters. But grandma doesn't. She knows what matters.
My poor grandma being swallowed up by 9 of her 36 great-grandchildren.
I hope one day to sit as she did, 81, with my family around me, knowing they are sealed to me forever, and enjoying that feeling that comes from nothing else then from family.
Happy birthday Grandma Park.
oxo
Today my grandmother turned 81. Desiree Joyce Western, my Mum's Mum. I gave my daughter her name for a reason, because I would love nothing more then for Lani to become even half the person my grandma is. My grandma is such an amazing woman. She has lived a life totally devoted to her family, and to the gospel. Everything she has ever done in her life has been for the good of someone else. My grandma and grandpa are the pioneers in our family, being the first to accept the Gospel, and have blazed a trail for us to follow, one of faithfulness and diligence. I am forever grateful for the example she has been for me.
As the mother of 8 children, her young life was spent caring for others. My mother has told me that grandma never once raised her voice or got angry with any of them. 8 children. That amazes me. That sort of patience is something I long to have and have always admired in her. Even now today she continues to care for a 50 year old son with disabilities. Once her children had grown and gone, she then dedicated her life, and every waking hour, to family history, finding the names and stories of ancestors long gone, then faithfully attending the temple every week to make sure those names were linked to us forever. I have such fond memories of spending the afternoon down at the family history center looking through microfiche on the big machines, helping Grandma find a name. She used to call me Sarah Sue. Still does. I love that.
I think I inherited my love of photos from her. As long as I can remember, visiting grandma meant having your picture taken. Twice. (In case the first one was bad). It didn't matter if she had taken your picture last week or last year, EVERYONE gets their picture taken by grandma.
Grandma is such a down to earth person. She is almost the epitome of what a grandma should be - warm, homely, loves everyone before she's even met them, finds plenty of good in a person or situation, when all the rest of us see is bad. Her house is been the one constant in my life, as my parents have uprooted so many times, moving cities and countries, my grandma's house has always been and will always be that figure of home to me, never changing, always there. Constant, reliable, soothing. She cares nothing for worldly things, happy to just have the basics, and then use what she has to help anyone else who has a need. She is always thinking of others, especially her family. And although her memory fails her, she remembers every name and birthday of all 90+ descendants.
My grandma is the type of person you just want to be around. She makes you feel so good about yourself. I get complimented more in 1 hour at her house, then in a whole month usually. It's no wonder that my kids just adore her, and beg me to go see her on a weekly basis.
I love my grandma, so very dearly. Knowing that her years are numbered pains me. I watched my Grandma as we sang happy birthday to her, surrounded by (some) of her great-grandchildren and grandchildren, and watched the tears come into her eyes. The pride and joy she felt looking around at her family was clearly evident, and I thought I could have guessed what she was thinking at that moment - "This is what it's all about". My life can be so busy and complicated, and I often lose sight of what really matters. But grandma doesn't. She knows what matters.
My poor grandma being swallowed up by 9 of her 36 great-grandchildren.
I hope one day to sit as she did, 81, with my family around me, knowing they are sealed to me forever, and enjoying that feeling that comes from nothing else then from family.
Happy birthday Grandma Park.
oxo
1 comment:
AMEN Sarah!! You are a dear wee soul. x
Lets get that Park family reunion organised so we can get a picture on the lawn in front of the temple with everyone! Perhaps we can get some cardboard cutouts of the missionaries done. ;)
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