June 19, 2015
The Art of Love Dear Dr. Laura, I hear you discuss the role parents have in their children's lives, and I grew up in a great home for that. But with Father's Day approaching, there is one person whose steady hand and simple acts of kindness left behind a legacy of love for which I have tremendous gratitude--my paternal grandfather. My grandfather was born into a family of limited means and he had to stop going to school after 7th grade. Once he married my grandmother, he took a job working 14 hour days. They lived in a tiny wartime house. Every night, when he got home, he would check in on his four boys to make sure they were doing their homework. He stressed the importance of an education, wanting more for his sons. It worked. My father became a teacher, high school principal, and superintendent. As a boy, my dad planted rose gardens for my grandma because she loved them so. When he left for college, Dad taught Grandpa how to care for them. My dad also painted and one night Grandpa picked up one of Dad's brushes and thus began something beautiful. By the time Grandpa passed away, he had painted over 150 canvases. But there is one painting, which inspires and motivates me to this day. He titled it "Roses for Loretta" - my grandmother. My grandmother suffered and died from Alzheimer's disease. When Grandpa could no longer care for her, he made the difficult decision to place her in long-term care. Every day, he would cut roses from her gardens and bring them to her. When he sold the house, he bought her roses, even when she got to the point where she no longer remembered him. After Grandma passed away, he painted a picture of various colored roses - each color represented a part of their relationship. He also framed it and between the paper backing and the painting, he quietly hid his favorite photo of her - taken when they were engaged. We found the photo by accident when the paper backing was damaged during a move. Today, I proudly display this painting as a visual, tangible, example of the real love that has shaped the person I have become. It is a legacy of love I hope to pass on to my children. I wish my grandfather could know the bounty that has flourished from his seeds of love, hard work and quiet gestures that he planted so many years ago. Vanessa Posted by Staff at 10:59 AM |