First found on Life Lessons Around The Dinner Table.

Week #11: Someone Who Inspires You.

There are so many people that inspire me – It’s really hard to pick just one person!

When reviewing the prompt this past weekend, I thought of my mom’s mother – My Grandma Grace. Some of you have seen me mention her on the blog before. She was an amazing woman!

She lived to be 96. This year will have been her 100th birthday!

Born in 1917, in West Virginia, she lived through the Great Depression. She went to college in Ohio, which was still relatively unusual for women back then. She married my grandpa just five days before D-Day in 1944, at an Army base in Texas. Grandpa proudly served in the Army and fought in World War II.

After he got out of the Army, they moved to Florida. She worked as a social worker, and was a dutiful housewife. My grandpa was a successful businessman in Miami for many years, owning/managing furniture stores and other businesses. My Uncle Richard was born first, and then my mom came along two years later.

I was very lucky to have her in my life until I was nearly 25! She was a wonderful caregiver for Grandpa, who passed away in August 2008. I loved traveling to Coral Gables to see them several times a year – Over the years, I gained a great appreciation for Coral Gables, Coconut Grove, Miami, and the surrounding areas.

She was incredibly wise, and super smart. She loved doing the crossword puzzle in The Miami Herald every day, and she nearly finished it before the day’s end, every time. She taught me how to play to Scrabble. She also taught me that Oreos simply taste better when they’ve been frozen!

Grandma Grace inspired me to do, and taught me, many things:

• Take good care for my possessions
• Travel the world
• Learn how to cook good food
• Visit the library early and often
• Going to church is important, and also a wonderful source of socialization
• Read, read, and keep reading
• Always send thank-you notes
• Find a craft that you love (Hers was with her church group, making place mats out of greeting cards!)
• Call your family and friends frequently
• Keep up with current and world events
• Enjoy your family for as long as possible

Until the next headline, Laura Beth 🙂