appreciate the past (day 32)

Learn from the past.  Learn from those that have experienced things that you haven’t.  Learn from their examples. 

There is one person that I wish I would have appreciated before they died…my grandmother.   

I was a young mom when my grandmother’s health began to slip…I was wrapped up in my own life…too busy to truly show her how much I loved her.  I don’t deal well with uncomfortable situations.  I don’t know what to say.  I don’t like to think about it.  So, when my grandmother wasn’t doing well and she was placed in a nursing home, I couldn’t deal with that.  It was extremely hard to see her in there.  It hurt me and  I knew she hurt.  So, I avoided it. 

That is how I tend to deal with difficulties, I avoid. 

Once she had died, I began to realize that I should have taken advantage of all of the years prior to her decline and let her know how much I loved her. 

As I look back, we are so much alike. 

She was creative.  I am creative. 

She had a huge stash of crafting supplies.  So do I. 

She loved to cook & bake.  She even taught me how to make an angel food cake.  There are many secrets to making a goooood angel food cake and she passed them onto me.  I had failed miserably when I attempted to make my husband, (then boyfriend) his favorite cake.  In fact, I had even ruined the cake pan in the process.  Once she heard this, she took me into her kitchen and together we made a beautiful cake. 

My grandmother was a great example of allowing God to love people through us, (her). 

She felt that her mission was to encourage others.  So, she did.  She was always sending cards to people.  Always.  And if you received a card from my grandma, it wasn’t just simply signed by her.  She always searched to find the perfect card for the situation.  She would underline special lines of the sentiment.  She would include an encouraging verse.  She would let you know that she truly cared…and more importantly, she would allow God’s love to shine through her. 

God places people in our life for a reason.  She knew & understood that.  She didn’t want to miss her chance to let them know they were loved, not only by her, but by her God. 

I love that about her.