Kristen Grossman Prose

“But from everlasting to everlasting the Lord’s love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children’s children.” Psalm 103:17

I was blessed with a beautiful day yesterday, Mother’s Day. I awoke to gentle rumblings in the kitchen, and soon the aroma of chocolate chip muffins wafted into the bedroom. I enjoyed a lovely breakfast in bed, followed by church on the couch in my jammies. We had takeout for lunch and dinner, played board games, and ended the day with home movies.

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I also spent time yesterday on a video call with my mama and spent an hour or two looking through old photos. I am so grateful for the faithfulness of the women in my family who have journeyed this life ahead of me. Their strength, devotion, and hard work have created a legacy that I hope to pass on to my own children.

I am especially grateful today for my Grandma Marvel. GGO, as we call her now, has always represented youth, fun, and good food to me. She was 44 years old when I, her first grandchild, was born. That means she was six years younger than I am today. 😊

Some of my fondest childhood memories were of camping trips our family would take with Grandpa and Grandma. I must have been very small, but I remember Grandma and I lying in a nest of blankets in the rear of my family’s station wagon as we hurtled down the road toward our destination. Grandma and I would read books and sing “Little Red Caboose, chug, chug, chug!” as we traveled along. (Clearly, this was before seat belts!)

I loved spending time at Grandma and Grandpa’s farm. They had trees that were perfect for climbing, woods for exploring, and sometimes kittens in the barn. My grandma is also a great cook. She was always arriving at parties and potlucks with a delicious dish in hand. I wish I had my grandma’s sense of style. She is always beautifully dressed in up-to-date fashions.

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Life wasn’t always easy for my grandma. However, this sweet lady has a quiet strength. As a teenager, she was our very own Rosie the Riveter, working as a machinist on a C-46 aircraft. Then, at the age of 27, she was widowed with three small children. I am in awe of the strength it would have taken to get a job and provide for her family as a young widow in the 1950s. I am grateful she found love again with my Grandpa O, who adored her.

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Now, at 93, GGO is still a delightful role model. She gives gifts of beautiful hand-embroidered towels each Christmas. A letter written in her elegant handwriting often appears in our mailbox. She loves to send her great-grandchildren little poems or cartoons she cuts out of the newspaper. And hearing her sweet voice on the telephone is a gift I have been taking advantage of during this time of sheltering at home.

I was so excited last week to see two of my cousins and their daughters visiting Grandma from a safe distance. She told me the next day that they had bundled up in blankets and visited for hours outside her window in the Minnesota cold.

I’m so thankful for Grandma. And for the example of quiet strength, dignity, and generosity that she represents. I hope to be just like her one day.

Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last;
    but a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised.
Reward her for all she has done.
    Let her deeds publicly declare her praise. Proverbs 31:30-31