Ten Lessons from Grandpa

Today would have been my grandpa’s 89th birthday. It has hit me hard this year because, on December 6, it will be 10 years since his death. Here are some lessons I learned from him:

1. Sometimes, you need to drive off the beaten path. He would drive through the neighborhoods instead of the main streets. I drive that way too. I know so many ways to get to work that I could confuse someone.

2. Sometimes, it’s better to listen than talk. I knew I was in trouble when my grandpa started lecturing me about my behavior. When he spoke, you listened because whatever he said was important.

3. Chocolate and sweets make the world go round. He loved pumpkin pie (Imaginative One’s favorite) and chocolate. They would sit next to his recliner on his end table. Okay, not the pumpkin pie, but the chocolate did. Don’t ask me how I know.

4. Nature is beautiful. He and grandma would sit and watch the hummingbirds outside their family room.

5. Family is important. He was ready to retire when my mom, sister, and I moved in with him and grandma. He continued working for about 7 years so he could support us. He made the bunk bed my sister, and I shared for 2 years.

6. Keep your gas tank half full, especially in winter. You don’t want the gas to freeze.

7. The importance of vocabulary. He would read Reader’s Digest and have me look at the Word Power with him. I still read Reader’s Digest and look at the Word Power. Those word power puzzles stump me at times.

8. Coffee is yummy! I didn’t start drinking coffee until after he was gone. Now I love it. Now I wish I could sit with him and drink a cup of coffee.

9. Education is important. He wanted me to graduate from college. I was the first one in my family to earn a bachelor’s degree.

10. Trust in God! He was a tail gunner during World War II and saw unimaginable destruction. His faith needed to be there to survive.

Thank you, Grandpa, for teaching all these lessons!