Inspiration: Grandma’s Special Brand of Love
“Love is the only way to grasp another human being in the innermost core of his personality.” Viktor E. Frankl
Inspiration: Grandma's Special Brand of Love... farming, trading and spreading love
It is a blessing to have others believe in us and encourage us. Some people have the good fortune to be born into families where love and support is a given and some don’t. However, whatever our lot, if we met or knew even one person who at some point in our lives believed in us, we are truly blessed.
In life, there are always people who make us feel extra special; people who applaud us wholeheartedly and treat us with dignity and respect. I call them angels of light. If you are fortunate to come across such a soul in your lifetime, appreciate the gift and give thanks with all your heart. I previously shared this on my Positive Kismet blog and felt it was appropriate for the WP Daily Post prompt on – someone who believed in you – because I knew that this would be another opportunity to share part of my paternal Grandma‘s story and spread some of her light and love…
“To love another person is to see the face of God.” Victor Hugo
Inspiration: Grandma's Special Brand of Love... farming involved all of the family...
My paternal grandmother was such a blessed soul. She had spent all her life in the village where my father grew up and she worked extra hard; she farmed and traded livestock and crops every day of her life until she went blind from glaucoma in her late 70s. She made sure that her last child, my dad, went to school and got an education because the missionaries assured her that he would be able to provide for her, in her old age, if he got an education.
Years later, my dad was able to honor his mother’s dreams by providing for the extended family household she had managed all her life. She was a hard working woman and fussed over us, her grandchildren, with great pride and joy. What I remember best about Dada, as we called her affectionately, was her warm smile and the tender way she held my hand when I spoke to her; always assuring me, in her soft voice, that my ideas were valid and that everything would be alright.
“Love is the basic need of human nature, for without it life is disrupted emotionally, mentally, spiritually, and physically.” Karl Menninger
Inspiration: Grandma's Special Brand of Love... thinking of grandma's loving support
Dada was small and feisty and … she had a heart of gold. Perhaps my optimism was inherited from her as I don’t recall her bemoaning a bad day or terrible weather for more than a minute, then off she would go to share a hug, tell a funny story or simply pass on much needed advise to a member of our extended family.
She passed away when I was in High School and because I was abroad, I couldn’t go to her funeral. I didn’t get a chance to say a proper goodbye and that made me sad. While she was not necessarily the first person who believed in me, she had a huge impact on my life and I cherish the time I spent around her. I miss her warm smile, her wisdom, her sense of humor but above all, I miss how she made me feel.
What about you? What are your thoughts? Is there someone in your life who believed in you and made you feel special? Have you had a chance to thank them? Do share! Thank you. 😉
This post was inspired by a prompt from WP Daily Post: Who was the first person who believed in you?
Positive Motivation Tip: Love is a synergy and comes to us in all forms; as we receive we must remember to give to others
Related articles
- A Tribute to Three Very Special Ladies – My Grandmas (jenpeterson.wordpress.com)
- Who Inspired You? (womenswindow.com)
- The Hands That Save the World: Remember Grandmas Hands (sweetlife15.wordpress.com)
- grandma’s chair (skillfuldaydreamer.wordpress.com)
PHOTO CREDITS/ATTRIBUTIONS: All Photos farm harvest, farming boy, and grandma painting, via Wikipedia
Until Next Time…
Ask. Believe. Receive. ©
Elizabeth Obih-Frank
Mirth and Motivation
Positive Kismet
I like Victor Frankl. I like psychoanalysis. Freud, Herbert Marcuse, Karen Horney, etc. And I am always surprised – after visiting my daughter’s family, that even if you know some persons very well, love can increase, reach higher levels of helping and supporting. And it is not only giving – it is a taking too …
Beautifully said… I agree that the love we share with family and other loved ones can grow. It must be reciprocal to be balanced too. TY!
🙂
…i learned my lesson….integrated…and now approach each person, each encounter…as a blessing and show my gratitude….
thanks for this post!
thank you, Eliz, for inspiring me to write on it.
Inspiration post.It remains me that my grandparents.I can’t remember their face but I can remember their atmosphere.We need their love.
Loved your post. I have the most wonderful memories of my grandparents. We were always showered with absolute unconditional love. They were a treasure. Now, as a grandmother myself, I have an inkling of an understanding of that special bond between grandparent and child. Beautiful. BTW, I am a great fan of Victor Frankl’s work, and in fact, he is the paradigm after which I model my counseling practice (still evolving as I work my way through grad school.)
Beautiful tribute to your Dada, Elizabeth! She sounds like a wonderful and hard working woman. You describe her so vividly, you leave me with a picture of her holding your hand in my mind. (still in trial- dropping by. Miss your daily inspiration. Be back in September or sooner!)
Your grand mother’s story is a gift to us all. She’s full of love and care to her family, friends and community. She reminded me of my mom who gave her everything so her 6 children can have a better life and future. Very true that to love another person is to see the face of God, out God who is love himself, a love without boundaries and without limits. Thank you. Another post that enriches the heart.
Dada sounds like the kind of grandma everyone should have.
My grandmother, we called her DorDor (from Doris) was like my third heartbeat. She was such a huge influence on my life. Always pleasant, she found laughter in everything. When her doc told her that her heart was skipping a beat, she said as seriously as she could, “But doctor, a didn’t give it no rope!” She giggled like a schoolgirl when she told us that story. I’ve been writing down my memories of her. Unlike my mother, who was very proper, my grandma would curse like a sailor.
Thanks for sharing your Dada with us and letting me smile at the memories of my DorDor.
I feel very lucky to have been believed in all my life! Sometimes I think that other people believe in me more than I believe in myself! Your Dada sounds wonderful! Reminds me of my Great Grandmother, Momo…
I like Victor Frankl and Corrie ten Boom…Thanks for always caring enough to stop by my blog, read and comment. I appreciate the motivation you give me.
My grandparents were my gift. Mamaw and Granddaddy always believed in me and loved me unconditionally. I have no idea how I would have survived without them. And my aunt Jean… she told me once when I was about 8 years old, “You are a very smart girl. Don’t ever let anyone tell you you’re not.” That kind of encouragement can speak volumes to a child.
Great post Elizabeth!
b
Hi Eliz,
Your article made me cry. I remembered my mom and my grandmother love and caring in my younger years which no one else can ever repeat. It is amazing how all of us have people who love us so deeply once they are gone a deep holes stay in our hearts. I miss both of them very much and they are happily ever after living in the special world!
Thank You,
Very inspirational post, I was blessed with a wonderful family, love, devotion, and support from each one all my life. Grew up with learning values in life, appreciation for the spiritual upbringing. Thanks, for a lovely post Eliz.
You are very lucky to have a grandma like that. It is such a blessing to be surrounded by people who love and believe us.
I only ever met one of my grandparents and she was a very strange lady. She did not believe my mother should have got married.
This is a lovely article and hopefully those readers with grandparents may stop and think of them, or give them a call, or drop by and visit.
Grandparents are very special. I learned to garden from my grandfather and learned kindness from my grandmother. They had 22 grandchildren but shared love with us all!
Hi Elizabeth. My first supporter was my father who told his three daughters they could do and be anything they wanted to. And then along came my very supportive husband who also assured me that there was nothing I couldn’t achieve if I wanted it.
These people are so very important to us and have to be remembered not only with love, but gratitude for the way they made us into the people we are today. 🙂
Thanks for sharing your experience and love for your grandmother, Elizabeth. I’ve been a long-distance grandmother for almost 7 years now. I hope I am as much an inspiration to my grandchildren as your grandmother was to you. Love for family have deep roots. My oldest grandchild will be 7 in Sept. and we have started to Skype. I love to hear and see her laugh. I would like to share with you the chat I had with her the day before we started Skype http://fromundermanyhats.com/2011/08/21/grandmas-wish-comes-true/. Thanks for visiting.
Your post is very inspirational and will help me be the best grandmother I can be to my grandchildren. Thanks!
Hi Liz,
I am speechless from reading all your positive and wonderful words of wisdom. Thank you for visiting and I’m glad my post, ‘A warm glow! was a related post .’ With modern day technology everything that should connect does so I am here. Continue doing great work and touching lives with such spirit filled inspiration.
Blessings,
Tempie
of
Albert and Tempie
TY for stopping by my blog Tempie!
I enjoyed your post too and I suppose this is a great way to connect with other bloggers… TY! 🙂