As far as grandmothers go, I hit the jackpot. When I was little, she was magical. As a teenager, she was the one person I never wanted to disappoint [1]. And as an adult, she was my partner in crime [2]. She was the epitome of strength and grace, a stoic woman whose difficult life experiences — she grew up during the Great Depression and later married a man who would walk out on her when she was pregnant with their fifth child — molded her into a most extraordinary woman. To know her was to love her, and I consider myself so fortunate to have had the opportunity [3] to learn from her. Admittedly, I didn't fully understand or appreciate the lessons she was trying to teach me [4] until about four years ago when I finally became a mother. Now, I see them as invaluable. Here are five life lessons I learned from my grandmother.
Your Children Come First
My grandmother was left to raise five children on her own. She worked tirelessly to provide for them, and oftentimes that meant she did without. Your children rely on you to take care of them, and making sacrifices is part of being a parent. So no matter what situation you find yourself in, always put your children first [6].
Be Selfless
I can't think of a single time when my grandmother put herself first. Even at the very end, she was the one comforting me when it finally sunk in that she was dying [7]. She spent her life working as a nurse and enjoyed caring for others; she said it was fulfilling. And, of course, she was right. We're all in this crazy life together, so let's take care of each other.
Don't Air Your Dirty Laundry
I can only imagine what my grandmother would have to say about social media. No one has to know what goes on behind closed doors, so leave your family's struggles off of Facebook. Ultimately, you'll be glad you did.
Get Mad
Simply put, life is not fair. But instead of crying or lamenting about life's injustices, get mad. Get mad and channel that anger into fixing whatever is getting you down.
The Importance of Cake
For as long as I can remember, my grandmother always kept a coffee cake on the counter. Sometimes she'd serve it after dinner. Other times, she'd slice it up when a friend dropped by. But that coffee cake always tasted the best when we sat down and ate it during one of our late-night chats. I'd give just about anything to sit down with her for one more talk, one more piece of cake. Remember that life is short, so you should always eat the cake.