How I Can Still Feel My Own Grandma’s Love to This Very Day

Grandmas may be the most special people on planet Earth. Yes, I may be a little biased since I am a grandma (though I happen to think our grandbabies are the true MVPs!), but I believe it is because I had such special grandmas, too.

One of my grandmas had a loud voice and was as extroverted as they come. (What’s funny is that I am often told I have the same voice and demeanor!)

My other grandma was soft-spoken, more reserved, and thoughtful in her words.

While they had many differences, the similarities were uncanny: their fantastic cooking, unshakable faith, and how they made us grandkids feel like we were the most interesting and important people in the world!

I miss my grandmas daily, but while I can’t physically see them, I can still feel their love. While I love a good letter, this topic called for more of an essay, which I would love to share with you. 

Let me know what you think and if you, too, can still feel your grandma’s love to this day: 

Growing up, Grandma's house was a haven of warmth and affection. Neither of their homes were necessarily fancy, but that never mattered. It was the love we felt inside that meant the most. From their well-worn kitchen tables to the creaky rocking chairs where we would cuddle and read, Grandma's was a haven and one that I now get to create for my grandchildren. 

I'll never forget the softness of my grandma's hands, enveloped in the scent of cherry blossoms. It's a fragrance that, to this day, takes me back to my childhood. Her hands were the epitome of tenderness. Now, as I look down at my own hands, weathered with time and echoing her familiar lines, I feel an unspoken connection, a silent conversation of love and legacy that continues today.

As a child, I was captivated by the tales my grandmas' told - stories of wars, one-room schoolhouses, and life before television. There are so many of those stories I can still remember word-for-word, as they contained so much personality and humor. Both grandmas were the product of the Greatest Generation, which explains so much. Today, I share my own stories, and while I feel I don't tell them as eloquently as Grandma did, I pray they bring the same comfort and wonder to my grandkids as mine did. 

Years after my grandmas have passed, I find pieces of them in the simplest moments. When I bake a special treat with their recipe cards in my hands – the words faded but the flavors vivid as ever – it's as if they're beside me, guiding me with each sprinkle of cinnamon and slice of apple. In those moments, the kitchen fills with more than just the aroma of baking but with their presence and essence.

Both of my grandma's teachings, some delivered in gentle whispers and others in loud jubilation, resonate with me more profoundly now. I catch myself echoing their words and "famous" saying to my grandkids, imparting lessons they once shared with me. In these exchanges, I feel their spirits alive and thriving, a guiding force in the legacy I pass on.

When I hold my grandchildren, their hands tiny and delicate in mine, I feel a surge of emotion. My hands, mirroring my grandma's, now pass on the same love and comfort they once gave me. In these moments, I realize how their love transcends time, living on through my touch, my care, and my love for the next generation.

Every wrinkle on my hands, every line tells a story, much like the ones that adorned their hands. They speak of a well-lived life, joys, and sorrows, of holding on and letting go. They are a testament to a legacy of love, a gift they began and I now carry forward.

In quiet moments, when the house is still, I can almost hear their voices and feel their presence. In these moments of solitude, I feel their love the most, a gentle reminder that though they may be gone, their spirit, essence, and teachings are with me always.

Because of all of this, I - a grandma myself - can still feel my own grandma's love to this day. 

This may be one of the most personal things I have ever written, but I share it in hopes of it striking a chord with you, my fellow Devoted Grandmas. As always, thanks for being here – and let’s talk again soon!