What I learned from Grandma

My Grandma passed away on Sunday. She was 85 years old. Unfortunately, the last few years of her life were not her best. She suffered from Alzheimer's, and more recently, cancer. You see, what I learned from Grandma, was that the most important things in life were not things, but people, and in particular, family. Grandma was all about family. She had ten children. 23 grandchildren. 33 great-grandchildren and counting. When you married into the Voth family, you became a part of it. My Grandma proved this when my own Mom was sick. Grandma came and helped out at our home the last few weeks before my Mom died. And she did it with a heart full of love.

Family gatherings as a child were always fun. All of us, 40 plus people, crammed happily into Grandpa & Grandma's basement, enjoying the wonderful food she had made. We camped together a lot. The picture above is taken at Spruce Woods, I believe, one of my favourite places to camp. One time, after Grandpa had passed away, Grandma came with us to Thunder Bay to visit Aunt Vera & Uncle Rudy & Kevin. Grandma drove her van there, and I got to sleep with her in her camping van! We shared the bed, and she never complained if I kicked her.

Sometimes, as a stay-at-home Mom of 4 children, I feel frustrated and over-worked, under-appreciated, etc. I always, always end up thinking of Grandma Voth and how she had 10 children, some of them hardly more than a year apart, not counting the twins in there too! Grandma was such a hard worker! I don't know how she managed to raise her family on less than what we have today, without store-bought bread, washing machines, disposable diapers, and all the other conveniences I have today. She obviously loved her family a lot and sacrificed much for them. Her life has inspired me to try to be a better mother and wife.

I remember one story she told me (I apologize for any errors, some details could be wrong). Grandma was the oldest of eight (not sure about that) children. Although she was not a boy, she had to quit school early to stay at home and help her mom and dad on the farm. That must be where she learned how to work so hard! One day, she was out in the field working and her baby brother was sleeping in the house. At one point, she had looked at the house and noticed smoke coming from it. She ran back to the house and saved her brother from the burning structure!

Grandma also had a way with plants. Maybe after all her children had left, she still had the burning desire to take care of something. But I remember her beautiful garden, her greenhouse and how I loved the smell in there. The back corner of her garden held a rock garden in which she planted flowers. It was always so beautiful! I wish I had inherited some of her green thumb!

Grandma cried easily. I don't see that as a weakness. She sure went through a lot of hardships in her life. After my Mom died, whenever I would see Grandma, she would always, like she had always done before hand, greet me with her wonderful smile, and from the way she said my name and the look of love in her eye, I knew that I was special to her. Then she talk to me about how much she missed my Grandpa, Uncle Rudy, Aunt Irene, and my Mom. She cried, I cried, we hugged, and through that, we felt better. It was nice to share tears with someone like Grandma. She always seemed to know what to say and when to keep quiet. Another thing about her that continues to inspire me.

I can happily imagine that Grandma is in extreme bliss in heaven! I know that she is in heaven, meeting up with Grandpa and all her loved ones. Rejoicing with Jesus! And although I'm sad that she is gone, I am so happy for her too, because the last few years of confusion and pain are gone, and she is so much better off now. She is where she has wanted to be for so long! I wonder if God did a special favour for her when she passed from this life to the next and sent Abe to pick her up from "Senior Camp"? Thank you Grandma, for your love, and for all the wonderful memories!