Here’s to my Grandparents’

When I woke this morning, I logged on to social media and scrolled through my Facebook feed as I lay in bed having a lazy morning. It soon came to my attention that today is rather a special day. It is, in fact, Grandparents’ Day!

I googled this to check out what it’s about, and discovered that it’s an actual day, the last Sunday in October, to celebrate the awesomeness that is Grandparents’ and the role they can play.

I’m incredibly blessed to have a beautiful Grandma and Granddad, who have always been a massive support and encouraging everything I’ve decided to do with my life.

Sadly, my Granddad passed away in early 2009, but my Grandma continues to be the amazing strength I’ve always known her to be. My Grandma is one of the most inspirational people I know. Growing up in a day that was a bit harder than we have it today, she always has a story to tell and some life advice for any situation!

My Grandma is one who enjoys the puzzle pages in magazines and will often tell me of something new she learnt or, if one of the clues would reignite something in her memory bank that she may have learnt in school or through early life. Or, on the other hand, if the puzzle is referring to newer music or movies, she’ll often read aloud the clue when we visit and ask for our input, seeing as we are more up to date in music, movies and technology than she is.

Her friends are really quite awesome too! A few of them will see us around and stop to chat, and occasionally we hear “oh, I did hear about that! Your Grandmother told me!” Apparently nothing is a secret to these ladies! But their encouragement is also appreciated.

Now, my Granddad, there’s really no words for him except one of the most amazing men who’s ever walked this earth. He’s such a beautiful soul, who I miss every day. Losing him was truly gutting.

But, he was always the one who’d fix anything and everything. In early life it started as fixing my toys, but soon moved on to shoes and bags as I grew up. That pair of shoes that lost the sole but could never part with, they’d go to Granddad’s shed and appear again days or a week later, looking as good as new!

When we were younger, we’d go on day trips with them, or a picnic and days spent with them are memories that will stick with me forever. No matter how old I get, and where I go in life, they’ll always be my Grandparents and they’ll always be an inspiration and someone who I look up to as someone who’s made it through life with style and grace.

When I’m a Mother (and eventually a grandmother), I can only hope to be half the woman my Grandmother is. If I achieve that, life will be a success.

I love that not only is there Mothers’ Day and Fathers’ Day, but also Grandparents’ Day to celebrate the (slightly) older role models that may be in a child’s life.

Here’s to Grandparents in general, but especially my Gran and Grandy…I wouldn’t be who I am today without their influence and love.

Happy Grandparents’ Day to all the Grandparents’ out there.

Something so simple…

Recently I received a gift from a friend after her trip overseas. Part of the gift was the cutest bracelet with a purple band and a silver circle with the word ‘strength’ spelled out around it.

At first I thought it a lovely gesture and wore it because it made me smile, but after a few days I got thinking about it and realised that something so simple as a single word on a bracelet could stand for so much more.

Each time I look down at the purple band on my right wrist, it stands for all the different forms of strength humans have. The physical strength to carry your body through the daily grind, and also the mental and emotional strength to come through the other side of the more mental challenges we face.

In recent weeks and months, I’ve come to realise that the meaning of ‘strength’ can flex and change depending on one’s circumstances. It’s not always being the best and strongest and “bravest”, but sometimes more on a personal level, the strongest of people are the ones who do everything in their power just to make it through the day. Battling through and continually managing to make it…that’s real strength.

It’s really quite nice, because this friend is one of the strongest people I know. Getting a ‘strength’ bracelet from the friend I consider incredibly strong herself, has quite a sweet ring to it.

I wear the bracelet everyday as a reminder of my strength, but also it makes me think of my friend and, when I’m struggling, I realise what she’d be saying to me. That in itself brings me strength!

It’s interesting how something so simple can turn out to be so meaningful on a whole range of different levels.