October 1 – International Day of Older Persons

This is a holiday started by the United Nations in 1990. The theme for this year was "Celebrating the 10th Anniversary of the International Year of Older Persons: Towards a Society for All Ages".

Their official website is: http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/ageing/whatsnew.html

I decided today to reflect on “Older Persons” who have touched my life and came up with a very clear answer…My Grandma…Pink Grandma…Bertha Meyer.

My Grandma was the best grandma in the entire world. I am sure a lot of people think that theirs is the best and I am sure they have the best grandma for them, but for me there is no better grandma in the world then Pink Gram!

Pink Grandma taught me so much about life and how to live it. It was very clear to see what was important to her by the way she lived her life: God, family, community, and living life to the fullest. My Grandma went white water rafting with all of us at a family reunion in Colorado when she was 80 years old. She drove a red convertible that had a personalized license plate “PNK GRM”. She also had a cell phone and lap top computer. She loved watching football and playing golf. She was known to stay out playing cards with her friends until well past midnight.

Grandma always came to Grandparents Day’s, sports games, recitals, birthdays, and backyard cookouts. I feel so blessed to have a grandma that was so involved in my life. I love that we had traditions: red velvet cake from Grandma on birthdays, peanut butter balls at Christmas, certain jobs to help prepare the Thanksgiving meal which was eaten around the ping pong table and always followed by a walk on the Grand Haven Pier. Rousing games of cards, Spoons, or Taboo were always played, which were very loud and full of laughter.

Laughter, my Grandma had the best laugh, and I was able to hear it often. She was always laughing. I loved when she would tell stories and be laughing so hard she was crying and I could barely understand her.

I miss my Grandma every single day. I hope that I can bring as much to those around me as she did. She was a very proud resident of Grand Haven, Michigan, always volunteering in her community, always putting God and family first, and laughing her way through life.

Enjoy the “Older Persons” in your life, learn from them and don’t take one moment for granted.

I love you Grandma, and I miss you so much!