Grammy and I: Halloween 2009

There are lessons which need to be learned through experiences and there are lessons which can be taught to you by family and friends. My Grammy was born during a time where America was building into the nation it became today, she lived through the Great Depression, World War II, Kennedy being assassinated, and the twin towers coming down on 9/11. To say she saw and experienced a lot in her lifetime was an understatement. I spent more time with my Mother’s Mom then any of my cousins, her and I shared a bond that even her death in August of 2011 could not break. I found myself feeling such a profound void in her absence but also a profound sense of duty to record and live by the 7 things which she taught me never to take for granted. I’d like to share these 7 things with you, my loyal readers, today.

1. The love God has for all of us. According to my Grammy, God is always there just waiting for us to pray for his guidance and we must never take for granted our unique ability to call on him whenever we may need him.

2. The unconditional love of families. Nothing was more important to my Grammy than family, she always stressed the importance of blood being thicker than water and truly valuing and accepting family members for who they are just as they must accept you.

3. The gift of being able to wake up each and every day. My Grammy lived to be 93, which meant she saw a lot of people die, including her youngest son, she taught me that every day we are able to wake up and make a difference in the world we should because we never know if we will be granted the opportunity for tomorrow.

4. The ability to distinguish blessings from lessons. According to Grammy, every person and event was sent by God either as blessings which we must cherish or lessons which we must grow from and we MUST be grateful for both and thank the LORD for them.

5. The way we treat people will have a profound impact on how they turn out. Grammy shared with me many stories from her youth and adulthood centered around the theme of how the adults in her life shaped her thoughts and attitudes on life. She stressed that we must always treat others with love and compassion because everyone is fighting a battle which you cannot see.

6. The power of forgiveness. My Grammy once described hate and grudges as poison which taints the soul and that we must not only forgive to release that toxicity from our own systems but because as Catholics it is our God-given duty to forgive others as HE has asked us.

7. The knowledge that what you don’t have in your hand you can’t very well hold on to. My Grammy used this saying to describe her feelings on letting go of the things in our life which we have little to no control over.

What were seven things someone taught you never to take for granted? Leave your response in the comment section below, because I love hearing from you!

Love you. Mean it.

Brittany

xo