Memorial Day Weekend

What a great Memorial Day weekend! I thought I would be mad that John didn't go (he wasn't feeling well on Friday when we left), but it turns out I was kind of glad. Not because I was away from him, but because it was an extra special weekend with just me, my mom, and my grandparents. I don't know that it's ever been like that before. Visits are usually with them and my aunt, sister, John....it's never just been the four of us. So, it ended up being a really neat, special experience.

My grandparents are both from Arkansas, orginally. My grandmother grew up in Guy, AR and grandfather grew up in Pearson and Quitman, AR. They lived about 10 miles from each other their whole lives, but didn't meet until they were in their late teens. My great-grandparents, the DeBusks, lived in Pearson until they died. In fact, my great-grandpa DeBusk died just 3 years ago at the ripe old age of 101! But our family still has their house and land in Pearson--a tiny 2-bedroom house on 70 acres of beautiful Ozark land. That is where we stayed.

We spent most of the weekend letting my grandpa show us around town. He gets so excited to show people his roots and where he grew up. He has so many stories of crazy things he did as a kid....it was so fun to listen to him. And it's amazing how many cousins and uncles and aunts he and my grandma had....they lived near and hung out with these countless family members every day growing up. I lost track of who was who through all the stories! But it was neat to see how grounded and family-oriented they have ALWAYS been. I think that's where I get it from. Family is so important to me and has always provided my strength and support. Some people wish and hope to leave their family and their hometown--and I've always considered it an honor, privilege and a blessing to be so close to mine. People have encouraged me to "branch out" and move away to find a better life. I can't think of a better life than the one I have here, surrounded by people I love. I guess the important things in life and reaching your goals is all relative--big-time career in the big city isn't as important to me as being near the things that really matter.

I also got to see how important church and God have always been to them. Those of you who have grown up going to church with your parents, know it can be a struggle to find your faith and truly believe in what you've always been taught. And I'm not saying I am without question on a lot of practices in my church. But to see that for generations in my family, God and the church have been the focal point--it helps put things into perspective. I was raised in a loving, Christian home because that's where my family came from. They were just doing what was right--but I see it as they lived a life worthy of the calling, lived a life to inspire generations to love and worship God. Did my great-great grandparents think into the future? Did they wonder about their great great grandchildren and their faith? Probably not...but they lived a life and left a legacy of love and faith that makes me want to do the same. Suddenly, I've begun to think about my great-great grandchildren and how hundreds of years from now, I can only pray they know God and love worship the way my family does, and the way that I hope to.

I am SO blessed to have four wonderful, living grandparents. Four grandparents who are in overall good health, and who have been close to me for 24 years. I know what a blessing this is, and I treasure it. And I encourage any and all of you to call, take a trip, or write to your living relatives and ask them their story. I not only wrote down tons of stories this weekend about my grandparents as children and teenagers, but I heard how they met and fell in love. I heard my grandpa say more than once this weekend how beautiful my grandma was (and still is) and how he just couldn't get her off his mind. I even heard him slip and say how he ended up pretty lucky to have her. :) I also followed him around to his childhood homes and heard about getting caught smoking. About walking home from church in the dark, afraid all the things from the Southern Baptist Fire and Brimstone sermon would somehow come true in that 1/2-mile walk home. I saw the church my grandma was raised in.

Thay love telling their story. They want me to know where they came from, and most of all they don't want their memories and the people they loved when they were younger to be forgotten. I can't wait to type all these things out and put them with the hundreds of pictures I took. I'm going to put it in a book for my grandpa and grandma. But I'm leaving blank pages, too. So I can fill it in with even more stories as I hear them. They lived through so much--the Great Depression, WW2, JFK and more. If you get a chance, do it. You won't regret it.

And I also came back with some cool stuff from my great grandparents home. An old toaster from the 1930s, old pictures of them in a Model A Ford, cool postcards from an old collection. It was fascinating!

Ok--done rambling for now. John missed out, but I think he had a great time playing Uncle of the Year with Mason and Easton. He went to the zoo with them, played baseball, watched movies....spent a lot of time being Uncle John. So, I think we both had great weekends centered around our families!