I am blessed to still have my 90 year old grandma with us on this earth, my mom and mother in law. In thinking about them the past couple of days, although they are all unique individuals and have travelled different roads through life, they have some common traits.
While my grandma Mary has been one of the greatest grandma's on the entire planet and a great mom, the thing that stands out is the legacy she leaves in being a devoted wife, a common thing between my matriarchs. Grandma has truly been a servant to my grandpa for 70 years. Although she is heavily medicated, has lost her memory, she still asks him what his preference is, thinks about him more than herself if she thinks about basic needs like hunger. Today I watched her as she could barely stay awake. When she came out of her slumber, she looked out the window, with a smile on her face, watching the birds and flowers outside of their window, enjoying the simple beauty in God's creation. Grandma has always been like that, she never asked for much or complained about her place in life, or my grandpa, she just joyfully always provided delicious meals and hospitable service with a smile to everyone who came through their door.
My mom, spent many years in the lime light and in the fish bowl as a pastor's wife. She was always kind and pleasant to those around her and was deeply devoted to my dad. My dad was a devoted follower of Christ and always spoke the truth of the Word of God. Often he stepped on toes and caused people to feel uncomfortable in their life choices, knowing that they went against what the Bible had to say. There were a couple of times that churches kicked my dad out. My mom stood behind my dad with reassuring words, prayers and guarded his heart as he was looking for a new place to serve. Sometimes rumors would be passed around that held no truth, yet she stood by his side. She spent most of her life being a help mate to my dad. To this day, even after 8 years since he has passed she still speaks of him with respect and honor just as she did when he was here.
My mother in law has always been a devoted wife, mom and grandma. She too was a pastor's wife and went through experiences like my mom. She has always been a steady emotional person, unwavering in her faith or devotion to her family. She has always faced the storms of life with grace and dignity and holds firmly to the faithfulness of God and His promises. She has taught me a lot about unconditional love and listening to others without judgment, while I went through times of rebellion and questioning what I believed in my early years. It was her quiet spirit that drew me back to what I knew was true.
She has truly been an awesome grandma too. Although we live miles apart, she has done her best to be a part of the lives of our kids, helping them with school work in the summer, shooting squirt guns, picking berries, making gingerbread houses, attending horse shows and basketball games. She has given us the gift of her time and always makes it a point to talk to everyone on the phone.
How blessed I have been to have these women as part of my life all of these years. We watch those who are ahead of us in the journey called life and although many times little is said, the way they live speaks louder than what they could ever say. How blessed I have been and each day that they remain is a gift to us!
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