Pages

Saturday, January 17, 2009

Pride

I was looking through all my old photos when I ran across these ones.

That's my mom and my uncle standing in front of the house my grandpa built for my grandma. He proposed and she said "not until you have a house with furniture". So he built her a house and furnished it and she happily agreed to marrying him

There's even a little apartment to the left because so that when my grandma's mother went to live with them she could still have some independence.

My Grandma was definitely an independent woman. She moved by her self to America when she was only 11 to live with an aunt she had never met. She taught her self english and accounting so she could earn her own money and always stay dressed in the newest fashions. My Grandpa being the most easy going, happy guy ever was just happy to see that his wife was happy. My grandma taught my mom to go for whatever she wanted in life and when my mom was told she couldn't register for the architecture class in high school because she was a girl well my grandma went down to that school and gave them a piece of her mind. Of course my mom got in and had one of the highest grades in the class. And all the while my grandpa was cheering them both on. They, together, taught both their kids that men and women can achieve whatever they want in life and that the only factor that really made the difference was hard work.

My grandpa was also the biggest prankster ever! He once (when he was a teen) put all his neighbors' yard furniture on their roofs for April Fools Day. No one could figure out 1) how he got it up there with no one noticing and 2) how to get it back down. He also sent me a huge box when I was probably 3 or 4 and on the top it said:
To: Lindsay. Do Not Open until after you take a bath

But I gotta say the bath was totally worth the giant teddy inside

I miss them both a lot and I know my mom does as well. But they would both be so proud to know what an amazing woman and mother their daughter is. She raised three independent kids that were never afraid to follow their dreams. And even when those moments of doubt come she still pushes us forward with promises of a soft place to land if we ever need it.

i love you mom and thank you.

4 comments:

Sydney said...

This is such a wonderful and inspiring story. Thank you for sharing it with us.

Hala said...

your mother must be proud of you as well..

Jocelyn said...

Such an inspiring anecdote. Thanks for sharing this. Nothing is more satisfying for a parent than to see his children become responsible, successful inidvidual.

Charmaine said...

What a lovely story Lindsay. Sounds like your grandmother and mother are two very special ladies! Now we know where you get it from! :-)