To Honor Grandparents on Grandparents Day

Happy Grandparents Day to all grandmas and grandpas, nanas and papas, grammys and gramps.

I ran across a quote that seems to capture the essence of being a grandparent; "The simplest toy, one which even the youngest child can operate, is called a grandparent." - Sam Levenson.

This years Presidential Proclamation makes several key points, not the least of which is “As a country and a people, our grandparents have made us who we are today.”

I cherish the memories of my grandparents; Jim and Bea Snowden of Mt Vernon, Wa and Gustav and Maude Osbrink of Bellingham, WA.  Together, they got us going.  While I could go on forever about what they meant to me, I will simply state two stories to illustrate their impact on my life.

My grandfather was a hard working dairy farmer who milked about 51 head of cows twice a day for nearly fifty years.  He rose every day around 4:30 in the morning to start his day regardless of how he felt.  Those cows did not care if he was sick, didn’t feel good, was having a bad day, or just didn’t feel like it.  He went out to milk them in the cold, rainy days of winter or the heat of summer.   By watching him, I learned the value of persistence and what it means to sacrifice for family.  He was a man that embodied the spirit of “just get the job done, no matter what”.

He was married to my Grandma Bea for over 60 years.  Though they ended up living a simple life indeed by their 70s, I often thought as a kid, if I could have a lifelong happy (though animated) relationship like they had, I would have achieved much.  God willing, I am so blessed.

My Grandmother on my Mom’s side, who we called “Mimi”, was a shop owner in Bellingham, Wa.  The Peter Pan Grocery that she owned, served many a student and others from Western Washington State.  She was a cheerful and somewhat colorful personality who would fascinate my mother as ‘Mimi’ would practice telling jokes in front of a mirror so that she could entertain her friends and customers.  Truth be told, not all of them could be repeated on television.

From her I learned the value of serving people and to approach life with a light, humorous touch.
I loved them all and am grateful for all they brought to my life, too numerous to list here.

Below is a short video featuring both sets of my grandparents.  It is my hope that in honoring my own grandparents, you take a moment to honor your own.  Feel free to add your favorite “grandparent” story at in the comments section here. 



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Enjoy!