In honor of my grandmother, a wonderful, intelligent, independent woman, whose memory is rapidly fading, I thought I would explore some of the wonderful gifts she’s given me over the years—namely, what I’ve learned from her.
In no particular order:
1. History is important. What’s more, it’s interesting.
I credit my grandmother for giving me my undying fascination with history and maps. She constantly told me stories about her family history and about American and world history she knew—particularly about the world wars—and impressed upon me the importance of knowing history, as well as geography. She helped me learn the presidents and the countries of the world. (Those placemats we had when I was a kid were great for learning, too. No better way to learn your countries and presidents than staring at them over soup and a sandwich with your grandmother.)
2. Save money. When you see a penny, a nickel, a dime, whatever—pick it up.
3. Likewise, save electricity.
She is a child of the Depression. Turn off lights when you leave the room. (Sorry Grandma, I don’t do this as often as I used to. I’ll try to fix that.)
4. On the same note, save everything.
Save unused napkins from fast food places; save rubber bands from newspapers; save twisty ties from grocery stores. Save tissue paper if you can (though I’m less inclined towards that one).
5. Baseball is a great sport, and Wrigley Field is a beautiful ballpark.
I never appreciated baseball much either, until I got into high school and into the San Francisco Giants. Baseball is a great game- mental as well as physical, and it's fun to watch. And I never would have cared about it if she hadn’t, and if, as a result, my mother hadn’t.
I never appreciated the ivy on Wrigley’s walls either, until the normal cable sports channels stopped carrying Cubs games. Now, on the rare occasions I see a Cubs game on TV, I stop and appreciate that ivy and the history of that old ballpark. It is beautiful.
6. Appreciate your hometown.
Nothing says this more than my grandmother’s intense appreciation of Chicago and the small northern Wisconsin town in which she was born. She remembers both (even still) and raves about Chicago. Of course it wasn’t a perfect city, but she remembers the many things she did there, the opportunities it afforded her and experiences it gave her. She has always been in love with the city, I think. I know I don’t appreciate my hometown nearly as much—but I probably should. If she was able to find the good in hers, why can’t I find the good in mine?
7. Walks are good. Get outside.
When my grandmother used to babysit me when I was little, we always took the dog for a walk in the morning. Always. Even when I didn’t feel like it. When I was very little we’d go to the park. And when I was older, she never hesitated to let me go out and play with my friends.
8. When life gets tough — keep going.
My grandmother has had a wonderfully rich life, but it was often tough, especially when she was young. She started working at fifteen and never got a high school diploma. She was raised largely without a mother. But she always kept going, never lost hope, and ended up in a mostly delightful marriage with many delightful experiences. Someday I’m going to write a story about her life—it’s one of those you can’t make up.
