The Bittersweet

This week I spent a few days walking down memory lane.

Only, it wasn't my memories that I was reminiscing.

Hannah and I had the privilege of helping my mom and her twin sister sort through over 80 years of lives well lived.  Back in December, my grandparents made the difficult move from the place they called home for the last 15 years to a small room big enough to hold two twin beds, two comfortable chairs, and a couple dressers. 

The most important parts of their life came with them when they moved.

Each other.

My grandpa and grandma have been together for over 60 years and have been an awesome example of love to their kids (6 of them), grand kids (22? of them), and great grand kids (way too many to count).

I loved helping my mom and aunt sort through clothes (found Grandma's wedding dress!) and several different drawers and closets that contained many memories from so many years (both for me and my mom and aunt).  For me, my greatest memories involve cups with wicker in them that we would drink Grandma's sweet tea from (I think originally they came from the grocery store where they would give them out as gifts), and little juice glasses (which I think originally held shrimp cocktail!) that we would drink OJ from on Sunday mornings, along with our bacon-eggs that Grandpa would make us.  Oh, and seeing their popcorn popper - Grandpa made THE BEST popcorn ever.  He would always have a batch ready for us when we arrived.

Why do all my great memories involve food?

I have to admire my Grandparents for their ability to hold on to those memories that mattered - there were so many things that their children and grandchildren would love to  reminiscence and smile over.  But yet, they didn't hold on to so many things that their home was a huge cluttered mess.  Looking back, I can always remember Grandpa and Grandma's house (first at the farmhouse, and them at their condo) to be a place of uncluttered calm. 

And yet, I kept coming back to the thought that although all these things are great and wonderful and fun to look through, we ultimately cannot take a single thing with us.

What will stand is how our lives were lived for Christ.  My grandparents have been following Christ for well over 60 years and they have shown by their lives Who (not what) they are really living for.

Comments

  1. AnonymousFebruary 25, 2012 at 12:26 AM

    Nichole-I always feel like your blog is one of those blogs that gets discovered and the author becomes some nationally syndicated columnist. You have a great touch and a way of drawing a reader in to what you're describing. Always a great read. Thanks for sharing your talents. -Dustin

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousFebruary 25, 2012 at 7:33 AM

    Thanks, sweetie. We did have a fun trip and made some new memories! love the pictures. love yas!

    ReplyDelete
  3. NicholeFebruary 25, 2012 at 3:14 PM

    Dustin - that sounds fun! you want to be my agent? thanks for the compliments!

    ReplyDelete

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