There are various types of travel. My blog isn’t necessarily information on vacation destinations, although, I do write about places I have visited. Today it’s going to be about a different kind of travel. Yesterday I was enjoying my Thanksgiving Day and thinking of the different people who have been a part of my crazy life journey. Just the concept of being thankful made me think about my Grandma Grace. Grandma told me about a very low time in her life after she had lost three babies at different times, two of them were twins. Her health was poor, and money was tight. She decided to not let it defeat her, so she went around her house and thanked God for everything. From a chair to a photo, she said a prayer of thankfulness for it all. When she focused on what she had instead of what she didn’t have, it helped her crawl out of her depression. That story impacted me, because as a child you take things for granted like chairs. It gave me a new perspective on how much gratitude helps the soul. Remembering my grandma also made me think about how much I’m like her. She wrote poems, painted, danced, loved books, loved music, and she took risks. I followed in her footsteps with writing, the love of reading, and music. Travel was also very important to her, and she told me once that even if you have to borrow money, you need to go on vacation. I married a man who feels the same way, so I've been blessed to have seen so many amazing things in my life. (Black & white photo: July 1955, Christiana Rassmussen, my great, great grandmother, Grace Hook, my grandma, and Anne Hook, my mother. Color photo: December 1995 me and Grandma Grace.) Thank you Grandma, the Amazing Grace, for teaching me gratitude, and for passing on your love of the arts and travel. Thank you for passing on your courage so I learned how to spread my wings and fly. I wish you could have seen me fulfill my dream to become a published author. Life is one big trip. It is full of mountains, valleys, smooth paths, and precarious ones. Everyone has had people who have been in and out of their lives. Some people are like road blocks that make us re-evaluate the journey, and possibly take a detour to become stronger. Some people are like the smooth paths that give us respite and renew our resolve to move forward. My grandmother was the later, and I’m grateful that she was a part of my life’s travels.
1 Comment
Dawn Reed
11/25/2016 05:42:32 pm
Grandma Grace was both sweet and wise. She gave me the same advice about vacations. She would be absolutely thrilled to watch you on your author's journey. Thank you for sharing this!
Reply
Leave a Reply. |
Ramblings on life, travels, & books
Carla Reighard Archives
December 2023
Categories |