My Grandma Rose

A little over a year ago, my grandmother celebrated her 90th birthday.  I wrote her a letter to celebrate the day that encapsulates much of what she taught me.  

"As you celebrate your 9 decades on earth, I want to share 9 things I love about you:

   1.     Music:  As a young girl, I remember being inspired by the beautiful music I’d hear you make.  Whether it was hearing you practice the organ or sing in your beautiful voice, you helped show me the power that great music can have.  As a member of the children’s choir that performed before your Chansonettes concert, I remember being proud to be able to get permission to go back into the chapel to hear my Grandma sing while all the other kids were sent to the primary room to play. 

   2.     Family Ties:  I remember once when some of us kids had gotten into a disagreement while visiting your house, you sat us down and passionately encouraged us to work out our problems with love and not let anger and resentment hold on to us.  You told us a story about some of your brothers who had held grudges and expressed to us how sad it made you that they weren’t always able to have a good relationship as adults because of anger that had festered for years.  I’ve always remembered that and the unconditional love that you show for your family and everyone around you is always an inspiration to me to do my part to nurture eternal family relationships. 

   3.     Stories:  While I may have heard them many times, I will never tire of hearing some of your life experiences.  Whether it be stories from your days working with the railroad or childhood recollections of digging up gold coins or just regular family life, it is inspiring to hear about all that has helped shape the wonderful woman you have become. 

   4.     Your personal history:  When I returned from serving my mission, one of the things I did in those first few weeks when I was getting settled was to take some time to read your life history that had been completed while I was away.  At a time in my life when I was unsure of what the future held, I found great comfort in realizing that while 60 years separated us, I could gain inspiration from relating to your time spent learning life lessons through missionary service, numerous jobs and growing into the fine woman that I’d known all my life.

   5.     Friendliness:  Whether it was greeting the ward on Sunday morning, or visiting with anyone who stopped by, you have always been a great example to me of what a smile and a kind word can do to make someone’s day.

   6.     Fun:  I have so many memories of fun at your house that it’s hard to pick one to highlight but I do remember one time when much of the family was gathered for Thanksgiving.  Esther took a group of us grandkids on a walking adventure that took us “over the river (canal) and through the woods” to grandmother’s house.  It was quite a fun adventure for young child but the clincher was when we made it back through the woods and “Grandmother’s cap [we] spied”.  That image of our loving grandmother standing at the back door in a silly cap was the ultimate image of all that was loving and fun about spending time at Grandma and Grandpa’s house. 

   7.     Testimony:  There are many things that I’ve been unsure of in my life, but your love for the gospel and testimony of obedience to Gospel principles as the way to return to our Heavenly Father has always been something I’ve been sure of.  The example that you and Grandpa set shows in the wonderful posterity and legacy of righteousness that still helps me to choose the right and abide by teachings that I now too know to be true. 

   8.     Your Love:  I’ll never forget how special it was at Grandpa’s funeral to watch you take a minute with each of your grandchildren after the dedication of the grave.  You have a wonderful posterity and it’s easy to see that we are better for your love. 

   9.     Birthdays:  I’ve always loved that we have back-to-back birthdays and feel special that we’re almost exactly 60 years apart.  Knowing and loving you makes me extra proud to be a May baby.  Happy 90^th Birthday!"

    My Grandma Rose returned to our Heavenly Home yesterday and while I'll miss her, I wanted to share a bit about the wonderful woman she was.