One of my most favorite quotes is “Never stop doing little things for others; sometimes those little things occupy the biggest part of their life.” Take a moment to think about someone who means the world to you - someone who constantly does these “little things” to help and support you. For some of us, it might be one of our best friends, a sibling or even a teacher. I care about a lot of people, but there are two people in this world who I care about who have been by my side every step of the way - my grandparents.
From the time I could walk, I remember spending so much time with these two. From ice fishing with my grandpa for the first time on Little Butternut Lake to learning how to make the world’s best sugar cookies with my grandma, these two have been the source of endless memories, laughter and pure joy in my life. No matter how rough things may get, I know they are just a short drive or one phone call away, and I am so lucky and grateful for them.
We all go through challenges in our lives. For me, my sixth grade year was one of the most challenging times in my life. Because of this, nearly every other weekend, I would find myself relaxing and going to a happy place. This happy place was in Luck, Wisconsin and was filled with tons of memories including making pancakes together every morning and praying together before bed every night. But what did these pancakes and prayers really mean to me?
PANCAKES: For those of you who don’t know, I’m a major foodie - especially when it comes to pancakes. But nobody, and I mean nobody, can make pancakes like my grandparents do. But in reality, the taste of these pancakes were just an added bonus. One morning, I remember eating pancakes with both of them on the deck and they were sharing stories and memories from when they were younger. As they shared these stories, I couldn’t help but think of how blessed I was to have these two individuals in my life willing to share their words of wisdom and encouragement with me, a twelve year old who didn’t know right from left. These pancakes and conversations we had together signified love - love in everything they did for people rather than themselves. I cannot count the number of times my grandparents bent over backwards to help me, their friends, people in their communities and even strangers. But why do they do this? Because they wish to show love in everything they do. How do you serve up your “pancakes” on the daily?
PRAYERS: While I enjoyed pancakes each morning with my grandparents, I got to end each day in an even more special way - through praying with them right before I went to bed. My sixth grade year was a turning point in my faith and they played a huge role in this. To me, our time praying together signified hope. During my rough patch in sixth grade, I often times lacked hope in myself and in my future. But by helping me grow in my relationship with God through praying with me every night I was staying with them, they inspired me to have hope in His plan. I distinctly remember one night when I was really stressed out about life, and they took the time to talk with me about everything that was on my mind. Between school and everything going on back home, I was a wreck. But this did not matter to them - they met me where I was at and helped me so I could go to bed feeling a sense of much needed hope. What do you do to instill hope in those around you?
Reflecting on the moments and memories we have with those we care about is very important, but realizing why they are significant is even more important. As FFA members, we should know that leaders are able to show love even when they may feel unloved and instill hope in those around them even if they are lacking hope in themselves. Although leaders we know may not exude love and hope in the form of pancakes or prayers, that’s a-okay. However, I believe my grandparents are leaders because of their pancakes and prayers. Their words and actions showed me their unconditional love and help me see hope in my future. I am so grateful for every moment I have spent with each of them, and although they may not hear it as much as they deserve, I love them very much.
Think back to that person who means the world to you. Take some time today to think about what they do for you and maybe even what you can do for them to show your appreciation. Then, think about what you can do to show love and hope to those around you in everything you do. By doing this, we can make the world a better place one action at a time.
Thank you, grandma and grandpa, for being my source of pancakes (love) and prayers (hope) forever and always. I love you both more than you will ever know!
Stationed by the Door,
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