Just so GREAT!

Don’t you love how you get “greater” the older you get? With age, you can become a great aunt, a great grandparent, or be remembered in future generations as a great great great … You just get greater and GREATER---in title at least!

My grandparents, my children’s great-grandparents, really are GREAT. They celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary last week and I’ve been thinking about the greatness of it all: the longevity of their marriage, the joy they bring to their family and the way they still, after many years of service, find ways to bless the lives of their neighbors and ward members.

So, in honor of their anniversary, I thought I’d share some of the reasons why I think Grandpa and Grandma O. are great:

• It's great to know your greats: I love that my children know and love their great-grandparents. I have so few memories of MY greats. I know they were wonderful from the stories I’ve heard, but I’m so glad my children get the first-hand experience of knowing and loving their great-grandparents.
  
• They are great liars! Don’t get me wrong---they are both people of much integrity, but they always have a way of focusing on the positive, on the GREAT, and looking past the not-so-good…especially in other people. When I’m in their home, I’m the BEST mother, the GREATEST daughter, the MOST creative, the MOST organized, the BEST company, etc, etc, etc. Of course I know they are fibbing just a bit (sometimes a lot). But, their choice to emphasize the good makes me want to live up to those compliments. I always leave their house with a boost of self-confidence and the desire to be great.
• I love that, being 80 years removed from early childhood, they still know how to play. Their house is not a stuffy, old-folks-home but one of my kids’ favorite places to be. Grandma will sit tubside, pretending right along as Dal and Kate play submarine in her big (empty) Jacuzzi tub. She teaches Dallin to crochet stocking caps. She lets Kate give her birds a bath in the sink. And, Grandma Great is the best at making up new, silly games! We always laugh at Grandma and Grandpa's house.
  
• They are always good for a treat. Grandpa keeps his deep freeze full of grocery-store sale ice cream and Grandma's cupboard is stocked with Costco-sized bags of gummy bears, M&Ms, licorice, dried fruit and nuts. Their willingness to satisfy your sweet tooth is indicative of the generosity they've exhibited throughout their lives, sharing their resources, time, and talents with all who cross their way.
  
• I love that they delight in small things and small people. It is so fun to watch Grandma and Kate put together a puzzle or see Dallin’s grin as Grandpa takes him for a spin on his Jazzy Motor Scooter. They never (seem) to tire of watching the kids sing a song, do a summersault or play the “rhyming game.”
  
• They are faith-filled. Both are committed to the Church and continually seek for further gospel learning. I walked into the back room the other day to see Grandpa reading “Our Search for Happiness” and studying all the cross references in the scriptures along with it. The first time I brought Dallin to meet his great grandparents, he was 3 months old and a medical miracle. When she saw my little baby, Grandma immediately started to cry, kiss his face, and say, “I’ve prayed so much for you!” Their faith has impacted many in our family.
• I am Grandma’s favorite. I’m fully aware that every other cousin in my family thinks the same thing. The best thing is…they are her favorite, too. Grandma has an amazing ability to have LOTS of favorites and both Grandma and Grandpa make friends of all ages and types, from all over the world.
  

I could go on and on...there is so much I love about my grandparents. When all is said and done, however, the thing I love the most about them is that they are MINE and I love to claim them. They have lived a life and left a legacy for me; they are examples to follow and disciples to emulate.

I love you Grandpa & Grandma!

P.S. Don't you think it is great that, at age 85, they are computer literate and will be able to read this blog post? Like I said...they are great!