January always brings memories of my Grandma; it was her birthday today and the anniversary of her passing earlier this month.  She had a huge impact and influence on my life.  I loved her so much and wish all the time I could call her up, sit and have a cup to tea (or toast with peanut butter – her fav!) with her or play another game of Cribbage.  She was a strong, Godly woman who shaped a piece of who I am.

But it wasn’t until her funeral when I realized how many other lives she had touched.  Person after person came forward to share who my grandma a touched their lives.  This made my memory of Grandma even more magical.

My grandma has become a source of encouragement for me.  She was the inspiration for my daughter’s name, she impacts my day to day life and also has an effect on the business side of my life.  My forget-me-knots bordering my  logo are in memory of her as I think of  how they used to grow wild in her yard and grandpa was not allowed to mow while they were in bloom.

I have come to realize however, that I am not alone in my admiration for my grandma.  I have run across a number of others, both in the wedding industry and elsewhere, who blog or tell tales of how their grandmas inspire them.  Pieces of their businesses where named by them.  Life just isn’t the same with them gone.

Why do we admire Grandma so much?

She grew up in a time before cell phones, internet and computers.  She made meals from scratch and gave the best hugs.  Her life was simple.  She lived in an era when it was still okay to carpool with strangers, houses were made from fieldstones, pictures were in black and white and women were married at the age of 18.  And marriages lasted.

What made her such an amazing woman?  She didn’t even know how to properly send an email?!  Are just romanticizing her memory?  I don’t believe so.  I believe that Grandma’s unsheltered way of life taught her something.  I believe that she learned to fight and work hard, not having an easy way out.  I believe that she had an extra burst of stubbornness that refused to quit.  She didn’t have an “easy” button or a way to escape through technology.  She had to talk about her problem, think about her answers in thoughtful letters of response.  She learned to properly converse with one another and how to punctuate a sentence.  She knew how to be a lady, as well as how to work on the farm.  She walked to her job because she wasn’t spoiled with an extra car.  And at the end of the day, she was tired.

Grandma, thank you for your passion and fight.  Thank you for keeping me fired up for what really matters and making my family so amazing.  Our grandma’s changed our generation.  As they’re slowly finding their final resting places, a portion of history and wisdom is being lost in this world.  “Simple” ways of life are being forgotten and it makes me sad.

Grandpa and Grandma at our wedding, June 2010.  Photography: Shannon Scott Photography {Smug Shots}

0