Friday, October 21, 2016

One Thing About Today... - Back to Blogging Challenge


One thing about today (Thursday, October 20) that I want to make sure I remember one year from now is how blessed I am to have spent the day with my grandparents.

As  a forty-something gal, I realize how fortunate I am to have two grandparents still living.  They are my maternal grandparents.  Being their only grandchild, I have and have always had a very special bond with both of them.

This afternoon, I went out with my 84 year old grandpa and we did what has been our thing for the past 30 years - we rode ATVs along the ridges and in the hollers surrounding my sleepy little hometown in the coalfields of southern West Virginia. 



About 5 or 6 years ago, I started treating every ride with my beloved grandpa as if it were the last.  I know that sounds incredibly morbid, but with him getting up in years, the reality is that one day a seemingly inconsequential ride will in fact be our last.  

So, every time we take a ride in the mountains, whether it's for  two hours or all day, I savor everything about the experience.  I take it all in - the beauty of the mountains, the blueness of the sky, the roar of the engine, the coolness of the wind on my face, and most importantly, the time with Grandpa.  My grandfather is a quiet man, but when we're out in the mountains, he's different.  He opens up and I see a very rare side of him that many do not.



Today, Grandpa and I rode for about three hours.  Even though we got a little turned around, had to do some backtracking, were forced to take a detour, and ended up covered in coal dust, I relished every second of our time together.



In the late afternoon, as my grandfather  napped, I sat outside with my 83 year old grandmother, whom I call Gran.  I was filthy, covered in coal dust from the ride, so I sat on her back steps.  After putting some turnips on to cook, she joined me.  As we sat there, we talked and enjoyed the unusually warm October weather.  We gazed up at the trees on the hillside behind their house where some of the leaves had already turned, but most were still green.  A few crows appeared, soaring high above in the currents, and they eventually descended to the creek to inspect the creek bank for food.  Periodically, Gran would go in to the kitchen to check on her turnips, but she when she'd return, we'd pick up our conversation where we left off.



Even though I can only remember fragments of what we actually talked about, the time spent together, talking about something and nothing and everything in between, meant the world to me.  

One day in the not so distant future, I will long for moments like today - perfect little moments carved out of a seemingly ordinary day, that, as it turned out, was in fact an extraordinarily blessed day.  I hope I never forget days such as this.


What's one thing about today (or yesterday) that you want to make sure to remember one year from now?  Please feel free to share.

As always, thanks for stopping by!


Linking up with Alyssa @ Alyssa Goes Bang

6 comments:

  1. So with you on this. I have no grandmothers left as of September, and still have one Pop. I am so freaking fortunate to be 39 and to have had them as long as I did and still have one.

    So glad you spent time with them!

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  2. How lovely!

    I only have grandmothers left. One is in her late 70s and is still pretty fit and active. The other is in her late 80s, is bed-ridden and has dementia but still manages to have a laugh on her good days.

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  3. This was so beautiful. How great that you're still able to enjoy these experiences with them! At 27, I've got 3 grandparents left, and I know that that may not be true for much longer. These moments when we are able to realize they won't last forever are often the most special ones we'll remember for a long time to come.

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  4. Unfortunately I haven't had any grandparents since I was 19 so I'm glad that you are being really proactive in spending time with them and appreciating them. I think it's important to be able to pass their knowledge and experiences onto the next generations but it's not always easy. I'm sure they appreciate you giving up your time to be with them too.

    This time next year I will be remembering some wonderful news we had this week.

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  5. What a great memory to save! I've only got one grandmother (maternal) left and I love spending time with her and so do my kids, even if it's just sitting around talking about nothing. Those are the best times, when there's no agenda, no rush, no distractions.

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  6. i love this. i only have one grandparent and every time i see her - which obviously isn't often right now - i relish every moment and treat it like it were the last. every phone call might be the last. i guess it could seem morbid, but i think its realistic and good to be grateful for things while you still have them, rather than waiting for them to be gone to miss them or wish you paid attention or appreciated it more. so glad you have such a fabulous relationship with your grandparents!

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