My Great-Grandmother

There are a lot of people in this world that do great things.  From artists that create wonder pieces of artwork to musicians that create music that fill our souls.  Authors who write books and poems that transform our lives.  Philanthropists that dedicate themselves to causes in an attempt make this world a better place.

Someone asked me one time "Who inspires you?".  Wow - that is a tough question to answer.  There have been a lot of people in my life who have been a source of inspiration.  For example, I am inspired by my Great-Grandmother.  She lived to be 100 years old.  She outlived both of her children, two husbands and a Great-Grandson.  She never dwelled on the past.  She always seemed happy just the way her life was.  As a young mother and she and my Great-Grandfather owned a mum farm where they grew and sold mum plants.  In the summers, she would run an ice cream shack to make extra income for her family.  As a Grandmother, she adored all of her Grandchildren.  She took great pride in everything that they did and she loved to spoil them.  Perhaps that greatest thing that I remember is her unconditional love.  Oh how I wish that I could love as unconditionally as she did.

My Great-Grandmother was born in 1905.  She lived through 2 World Wars, the Korean War, the Vietnam Conflict and Desert Storm.  She witness the terrorists attacks on September 11, 2001.  She was a young mother trying to keep her family fed during the Great Depression.  But yet, she never complained - or at least I never heard her complain.  It seemed as though she always tried to find the best of every situation.

Oh how I enjoyed visiting her home in Eustis, FL.  She had Orange Trees and the most beautiful collection of porcelain tea cups.  She also collected porcelain birds.  Boy did she love her birds!  She was crafty and enjoyed making things for her family.  I remember when I was around 8 or 9 years old, when Cabbage Patch Kids first came out and they were the "craze", she made all of 5 of her great-granddaughters their own "Cabbage Patch Doll" - she gave them all Christmas names like Holly Berry and Joy Noel.

Looking back over the years, I wish that I had taken time to learn more about my Great-Grandmother.  I wish that I had sat down and talked to her about her life - learned more about how she felt about things and how her life experiences shaped the person that she was.  I think about her and it makes me smile - she was spunky and stubborn - and I like to think that I got those same qualities from her.  Yet, she was mysterious to me - there was a lot that I didn't know about her and now I will never know.