A Visit With "Grandma Grape"

"Grandma Grape", also known as Grandma Great or my Grandma, was visited today. I had the impression that I should go visit her. I tried to push it away and explain it away that I was too busy today and that I'd go see her another day. I walked into the kitchen and, again, the impression hit me that I should go visit her. I thought, "I'll call her instead to see how she's doing. I'm really busy today." Try as I might to pooh-pooh this impression it came back to me. I finally listened to the impression and rounded up the kids, hurried to get their shoes and socks on and out the door we flew to Grandma Grape's house.

I love my dear Grandma. My Grandma is a remarkable woman. She is one of 9 children (6 of her siblings have passed away). She is a strong woman, physically (once upon a time), mentally, and especially spiritually. Her faith in the Gospel is steadfast, even when she has had every reason to doubt it. She and her husband raised 2 families (her own children and then had a HUGE part in raising some of her grandchildren, through no fault of their own). She never questions why, but only asks, "why not". She is THE GREATEST example to me in so many ways and one that I am proud to be related to. At family get-togethers, I am told quite often how much I remind others of Grandma Grape and her mother, Grandma Grape-Grape.

Grandma Grape is 93 years young. She may be slow physically (she calls it "turtlizing") and hard of hearing, but she is right there with it mentally. I can bring up any number of topics and she and I can sit and talk for hours, literally. Anything from sports (she's a HUGE sports fan, but especially basketball, baseball, and college football), politics, the Gospel, kid advice, etc. She has impacted so many people's lives that she really doesn't comprehend it. Much like her mother, she has touched many more people's lives than she understands. When in a quandary of what to do, I quite often think "what would Grandma do (or say)?"

I have let many situations go where I've wanted to fight back and give someone a piece of my mind. But, after thinking it completely through and usually sitting on it for a few days, I find myself drawn towards my Grandma and hearing her words of "let it go. Don't give them that power over you. You" Without fail, she's right. She is one of the biggest reasons why I absolutely love living here in Arizona. Growing up, I usually saw her for a week in the summertime; or, on the rare trip to Mexico with my sister, Mindy, we got that extra special time with her. I am so incredibly grateful that my kids (Owen & hopefully Caroline) will be able to remember "Grandma Grape".

There isn't much that has changed at her house in the last 65+ years that she's been there, and I love it. When I take the kids to see her, it floods me with familiar smells, tastes (a can of Coke out of her fridge I swear tastes different than out of mine), tons of memories and good feelings. I hope that one day when my kids look back at pictures of being at Grandma Grape's house they, too will have those fond feelings and great memories.

As per the usual, I forgot my camera, but was able to snap this one picture of Grandma Grape and Howie with my phone. Sorry for the quality, it'll have to do. For me, it is beyond precious and a treasure for sure.