Grandparents

Today, I am THANKFUL for my grandparents.

This past Thanksgiving weekend, I was able to spend some time with my grandparents. I have my maternal grandfather, Baxter, and my paternal grandmother Momise still with us.  Baxter's wife, Dot, passed away a little more than three years ago. I miss her a lot, a whole whole lot. She was a wonderful woman.  She lived a full and wonderful life.  She loved to travel, was fun to be around and had a great spirit. Baxter is 92.  He is bedridden and sometimes can't remember whether or not he ate lunch.  But he is usually wonderful to be around.  I think he gives my mom a hard time sometimes, but over Thanksgiving this past weekend he was in especially good spirits.  Maybe he'd been into "the spirits" before we got there :) We had a great time eating with him and telling him about our lives.

Baxter is kind and generous. He is a wonderful man.  He worked hard in the earlier years of his life to provide a good life for his family.  He came from a family with a lot of children (he had 5 brothers) and one parent.  His father died when he was a teenager.  He is the oldest of the brothers and the only one still living.  He is so proud of his children and who they have become.  And who his grandchildren are becoming, all 9 of us.  He is a provider of great stories and good laughs.  He always has a great story and a good joke. He has lived a full and wonderful life.

Momise's husband, Junebug, passed away about 23 years ago.  Momise is 84.  You would never know she was 84.  She looks and acts like she's in her late 60s.  I am amazed by her and hope I have long lasting health like hers.  She too has lived a full and wonderful life. She too is proud of her children and grandchildren, all 10 of us.  She is a wonderful woman.  She is the provider of encouragement, wisdom and laughs.  We had a great time this past Thanksgiving sitting around the table, listening to my aunts and uncles share stories from childhood.  It is always just hilarious to get them all together.  Momise, Anna and I also went to lunch on day this weekend.  Nothing special, just a good time to hang out and get to be with Momise.  I really wish that I could have known my grandfather.  I love to hear stories about him and I know that he was a great man too.

I love spending time with my grandparents.  It is a wonderful reminder of the heritage that I come from and the wonderful people that have paved the way for me to have a full and wonderful life.

I am THANKFUL for my grandparents.