Grandmotherland

As some of you know, my beloved paternal grandmother has been ill in recent days.  I thank you for your prayers on her behalf.  I - along with many other family members who no longer live in El Salvador - booked flights, made arrangements for our families, and took off to El Salvador for the weekend hoping for a few more precious moments and memories with my grandmother, just in case things took a turn for the worst.

I thought I would return from El Salvador heartbroken, distressed, or in some way needing to recover from the emotional ups and downs of the journey, but instead I've come back inspired and filled to the brim with a zest for life.

The Lord has already blessed my grandmother with 98 years on this earth, and she has so much to show for it. My maternal and paternal grandmothers are the only grandparents I ever knew.  Unfortunately, my paternal grandmother lost her husband many years ago and my maternal grandmother raised her children without her husband. Despite not knowing my grandfathers, I have had no shortage of leadership, guidance, and love, at the head of my extended family.  Both of my grandmothers are strong and amazing women whose influence permeates all subsequent generations.

What does Nina Juanita have to show for 98 years on earth?

Strength. I've never seen my grandmother sunken into self-pity. She's endured various hardships, obstacles, and tribulations, and she has always done so with resilience and grace. Nothing can destroy her, and nothing can even make her have a doubt.

Devotion. There is no one who knows my grandmother who doesn't know - with absolute certainty - that her family has always come first.  She made things happen for her many sons and daughters through a devotion and encouragement that tore through all the expectations one might have for a single mother with a brood of children.

Love. My grandmother has poured such abundant and palpable love into the lives of everyone she has met. Her love is known by her children, her grandchildren, her great-children, and the many students she taught during four decades of being a teacher. More important still, she has demonstrated that love in a way that is a lesson for all of us.  By knowing her and her examples of kindness, patience, and encouragement, we have become better able to love each other.  I see the love she has shared with the world carried forward among my dad and his brothers and sisters, and I see it modeled and passed down to all subsequent generations.

Faith. My grandmother has so much in her life that she could take credit for.  Her sons and daughters are engineers, doctors, a judge, and serve in the military.  They've accomplished much on account of their mother's love, their love for each other, and their mother's incessant prayers and supplication.  I have yet to encounter someone in my life who prays more than my grandmother. Although we wish to keep her with us for as long as possible, so that we may all continue to benefit from her physical presence, the fact of the matter is that she has been with the Lord for decades. Her faith is constant, boundless, and she gives credit where credit is due for everything she has accomplished in this life. She doesn't have to leave us to go be with Jesus. She has been with Him for as long as anyone can remember.

It truly was a blessing to see my grandmother and my extended family, even if the trip only lasted for a moment.  I've come back to the States with a new resolve and a commitment to cultivate in my self what I so admire about my grandmothers. I hope that some day when my children and children's children think of me they list out some of the same qualities listed above.  I am forever thankful for the shining examples that my grandmothers have provided and I hope to pass on their greatness.