In Proverbs 16:31 it says," Grey hair is a crown of splendor, it is attained by a righteous life." I am writing a letter to my grandpa and grandma, whom I adore and they really are two of my favorite people in the world. Grandpa is turning 85 tomorrow on June 7th, and grandma turned 82 as of March 27th.
To my very special grandparents,
When I look at the life that you have lived I am in awe of all the changes you have seen in your lifetime. You have lived through war, television, blacks having rights, computers, shopping has changed, restaurants are on every corner, farming is different. You have seen the world change in a way that I will never understand. What I would not give to grow up in the time you grew up.To be able to live in a world that was a lot more simple.
When I look at your life I see simplicity. You have worked harder than anyone I have ever met. You are farmers, and that brings on hard work and determination, but you excel at that.
Grandma, I have watched you get up at the crack of dawn to make breakfast for grandpa before he goes out to work. I have watched you respect your husband and love him and put his needs before your own. I have watched you be a help meet with your husband. I have watched you bite your tongue when in your heart of hearts I know you wanted to speak. I have watched you when you get unexpected company and you can come up with a full course meal in a matter of minutes and have plenty for your visitors, all with a cheerful heart. I have watched you make wedding cakes, including mine. I have watched you hang clothes on the line and bake cookies and make lunch and dinner for grandpa and milkshakes and popcorn for a bedtime snack. You have spent your lives serving others. I have always said God has given you a gift because if someone is in need you know how to meet that need. You two have shown more love to me than I have deserved. Even in my "selfish years" you would listen and make me feel like the most important person in your life. I know many others that could say that exact same thing.
Grandpa I have watched you be able to fix or rig up anything from nothing. I am still amazed at the things you concoct. You can tinker and make amazing things without spending money, it was just "stuff" you had laying around. I would have had to go buy it and spend too much money and mine would not last as long as yours. I have watched you fix tractors on multiple occasions. I have watched you chop wood and come home smelling like grease and oil. I have watched you sweat, but all with a cheerful heart. I have watched you talk to other farmers and will never forget the confidence in your stature as you stood there talking land to these fellow farmers. I have watched you with your cows, they were your babies, but you were stern when you needed to be. I have watched you talk so tough about your cats and dogs, things like, "I will just shoot it, or we will get rid of it," and then I walk out to see the cat perched on your shoulder or you are petting the dog and talking to them like they are your babies. I have watched you take the dog to Dairy Queen and get him a cone. Your heart is a lot softer than you let on.
I have watched you both garden and can enough food that if the worlds food industry came to a halt you would be able to live for years on fresh garden food. I have watched you sit and watch the news and wonder what the weather will do. I have watched you play hours of card games with our entire family. Grandpa, grandma and I will always be the champions!!!! I have watched you sit at the kitchen table talking and listening to whoever needs to talk. I have watched you get to travel and vacation to so many wonderful places, not because you are wealthy with money, but because God has really blessed you. I will never forget traveling to the Warren Dunes all piled in the back of a full size van with a bucket for bathroom accidents, or traveling to Missouri and our transmission catching on fire in the full size van and standing on the side of the highway. I will never forget bringing puppies home from that trip that were at the body shop. I will never forget being in Holland Michigan and Melissa and I were running and she fell in the bath tub and cracked her head open. I will never forget buying wooden shoes for me and my cabbage patch kids. I will NEVER forget traveling to Hawaii and you were standing there with leighs waiting to put them over our necks as we got off the plane. I will never forget when I was in college and you made a special desk for me to do my work on and to hold my computer. I will never forget many many trips to Shipshewana to look at stores and bring home homeade bread and butter. But with all of that the most important thing I have watched you do is go to church on Sunday. I will never forget sitting in that little country church with maybe 70 people and singing hymns and watching you tap your feet and pat your hand on your leg. Those songs will always be in my heart because I think of you. To my family reading this, I can close my eyes and remember exactly what they were wearing when they were tapping their feet and singing those hymns:)
When I sit back and look at the life you have lived, I want that life. You are a team! Life has not always been easy, but you have tackled it together. You are the most amazing people I have ever known. You are just simple hard working folks that are filled with a love for God's creation. God has given you so much and you are thankful.
Now I am watching you get older and I will be honest it is the hardest thing I have experienced. I wish you could be with me forever because I really do need you and cannot imagine my life without you. Who will I call when my garden isn't growing? Who will I call when I can't get my meatloaf to loaf? I pray that you have 20 more years with me and my family, but I know someday the Lord will call you home and it will be the hardest days of my life, but I am so thankful for the life and opportunity you have given me to be the woman that I am. Without you I would not be the person I am. Thank you for your advice, I treasure it! Thank you for always being here for me! I thank God that he gave you to me! You have left a wonderful legacy for me and my family and your grey hair is a crown of splendor because you have lived a righteous life! I LOVE you both!
To my very special grandparents,
When I look at the life that you have lived I am in awe of all the changes you have seen in your lifetime. You have lived through war, television, blacks having rights, computers, shopping has changed, restaurants are on every corner, farming is different. You have seen the world change in a way that I will never understand. What I would not give to grow up in the time you grew up.To be able to live in a world that was a lot more simple.
When I look at your life I see simplicity. You have worked harder than anyone I have ever met. You are farmers, and that brings on hard work and determination, but you excel at that.
Grandma, I have watched you get up at the crack of dawn to make breakfast for grandpa before he goes out to work. I have watched you respect your husband and love him and put his needs before your own. I have watched you be a help meet with your husband. I have watched you bite your tongue when in your heart of hearts I know you wanted to speak. I have watched you when you get unexpected company and you can come up with a full course meal in a matter of minutes and have plenty for your visitors, all with a cheerful heart. I have watched you make wedding cakes, including mine. I have watched you hang clothes on the line and bake cookies and make lunch and dinner for grandpa and milkshakes and popcorn for a bedtime snack. You have spent your lives serving others. I have always said God has given you a gift because if someone is in need you know how to meet that need. You two have shown more love to me than I have deserved. Even in my "selfish years" you would listen and make me feel like the most important person in your life. I know many others that could say that exact same thing.
Grandpa I have watched you be able to fix or rig up anything from nothing. I am still amazed at the things you concoct. You can tinker and make amazing things without spending money, it was just "stuff" you had laying around. I would have had to go buy it and spend too much money and mine would not last as long as yours. I have watched you fix tractors on multiple occasions. I have watched you chop wood and come home smelling like grease and oil. I have watched you sweat, but all with a cheerful heart. I have watched you talk to other farmers and will never forget the confidence in your stature as you stood there talking land to these fellow farmers. I have watched you with your cows, they were your babies, but you were stern when you needed to be. I have watched you talk so tough about your cats and dogs, things like, "I will just shoot it, or we will get rid of it," and then I walk out to see the cat perched on your shoulder or you are petting the dog and talking to them like they are your babies. I have watched you take the dog to Dairy Queen and get him a cone. Your heart is a lot softer than you let on.
I have watched you both garden and can enough food that if the worlds food industry came to a halt you would be able to live for years on fresh garden food. I have watched you sit and watch the news and wonder what the weather will do. I have watched you play hours of card games with our entire family. Grandpa, grandma and I will always be the champions!!!! I have watched you sit at the kitchen table talking and listening to whoever needs to talk. I have watched you get to travel and vacation to so many wonderful places, not because you are wealthy with money, but because God has really blessed you. I will never forget traveling to the Warren Dunes all piled in the back of a full size van with a bucket for bathroom accidents, or traveling to Missouri and our transmission catching on fire in the full size van and standing on the side of the highway. I will never forget bringing puppies home from that trip that were at the body shop. I will never forget being in Holland Michigan and Melissa and I were running and she fell in the bath tub and cracked her head open. I will never forget buying wooden shoes for me and my cabbage patch kids. I will NEVER forget traveling to Hawaii and you were standing there with leighs waiting to put them over our necks as we got off the plane. I will never forget when I was in college and you made a special desk for me to do my work on and to hold my computer. I will never forget many many trips to Shipshewana to look at stores and bring home homeade bread and butter. But with all of that the most important thing I have watched you do is go to church on Sunday. I will never forget sitting in that little country church with maybe 70 people and singing hymns and watching you tap your feet and pat your hand on your leg. Those songs will always be in my heart because I think of you. To my family reading this, I can close my eyes and remember exactly what they were wearing when they were tapping their feet and singing those hymns:)
When I sit back and look at the life you have lived, I want that life. You are a team! Life has not always been easy, but you have tackled it together. You are the most amazing people I have ever known. You are just simple hard working folks that are filled with a love for God's creation. God has given you so much and you are thankful.
Now I am watching you get older and I will be honest it is the hardest thing I have experienced. I wish you could be with me forever because I really do need you and cannot imagine my life without you. Who will I call when my garden isn't growing? Who will I call when I can't get my meatloaf to loaf? I pray that you have 20 more years with me and my family, but I know someday the Lord will call you home and it will be the hardest days of my life, but I am so thankful for the life and opportunity you have given me to be the woman that I am. Without you I would not be the person I am. Thank you for your advice, I treasure it! Thank you for always being here for me! I thank God that he gave you to me! You have left a wonderful legacy for me and my family and your grey hair is a crown of splendor because you have lived a righteous life! I LOVE you both!
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