To all of the grandparents

To my grandparents, Johnnie, Beatrice, Arthur and Hazel, thank you.

I wish you a very happy Grandparents Day. I was and am blessed to have had you in my life. I haven’t had a grandparent to speak to since Nov. of 2006. But, that is not a deprivation. It was a blessing.

Grandma Sundquist (Beatrice) lived to be 100.  She lived in Oakland.

I don’t remember much about Johnnie (Sundquist). I was three when he passed away. I remember sitting on his lap, and that is all.

Grandma Sundquist was always there. If I was sick, I stayed at her house. With four of us at home, it was a preventative measure. I would also stay with her for a week in the summer. She was a very busy lady. Her calendar was booked up. It was hard to find a week that she was free!

Grandma and Grandpa Marr (Art and Hazel) lived on a farm just outside of Lyons. We would go there for Sunday dinner and many other times. I spent the night there a few times too.

All of my grandparents were special to me. They were very different and yet they had one thing in common: they loved their grandchildren.

I was a bit sad yesterday. I couldn’t say “Happy Grandparents Day” to them. But, as I thought about it, I realized I still could. I said a special prayer to each one of them, thanking them for being a part of my life. I will never forget them, or stop loving them.

Now, I am a grandparent. I didn’t get to see my grandkids yesterday, but I thought about them, as I do every day. I hope they know how much I love them.

Cherish your grandparents, as time goes too fast and one day, you won’t have them in your life.

But, the memories are priceless.

God Bless all of the grandparents. Each and every one of you is very special.