Episode 173: Learning from Grandma

 At 21 years old, my grandma lost her mother and was left to be the leader of two families, the family of her mother and her own new family which she was just starting.  At 21, she had been married for 2 years, she had been working for even longer, she had a child on the way, and she had to make a number of life-changing decisions.  Sitting down with her tonight to talk about what this experience was like for her, what it was like to handle such hardship, and how she got back up on her feet was eye-opening and humbling. As she went through life, both her and my grandpa built something for themselves. They moved to a new city on a whim for my grandpa’s new job, they built and family, and they built a life together.  For over 70 years, she always had someone to do something for and someone to come home to, whether it be her own parents, her husband, or her kids. But when my grandpa died 13 years ago, this changed. After so many years, she came home to an empty house for the first time. “I stopped caring about this house,” she said to me with a trembling voice and tears in her eyes. She described the loneliness she felt over the last 13 years and how hard it could be to sit alone in that house which she loves.  These are just a few details from the long conversation we had. It was a moving #conversation for me, and I really wanted to #share a bit with you. To hear more, check out my full #podcast episode, where I describe my reactions in more detail. As always, thanks for tuning in. #MuchLove❤️.