My story is in memory of my grandmothers. They were more than keepers of treats and comfort; they were living examples of values, resilience, and optimism. I carry their legacies in my heart to this very day. As you read my words, I invite you to think about your own grandmothers: their homes, their voices, their lessons.

 

Gramma: My Mother’s Mother

My mother’s mother, whom I affectionately called Gramma, had a family beach home on Lake Michigan, which is still in our family today! Many of my happiest childhood and adult memories are rooted in that home.

As a little girl, I loved standing on a chair beside her in the kitchen, learning how to prepare corn on the cob fresh from the market. She would pour a pinch of sugar into my hand and instruct me to toss it into the boiling water. “The corn will be as sweet as you are,” she’d laugh, hugging me as I licked the leftover sugar from my palm.

Her joy was infectious. I can still see her sitting under a brightly colored umbrella on the beach, watching as we built sandcastles and raced through the waves. She prepared wicker baskets overflowing with food, and her laughter carried across the shoreline.

Her belongings still surround me. A large leopard rests on our den floor. Her music box sits in my bedroom. A Chinese vase in my Salon holds a money tree. Every piece reminds me of her presence and of the values she instilled: optimism, boldness, family first, and laughter in abundance. I hope my grands will someday surround themselves with my treasures and fondly think of me and the memories we created.

In the tapestry of my life, she wove threads of love, resilience, and wisdom. She was the matriarch of my mother’s family, and I cherish the profound bond I had with her. Though she is gone, her voice and lessons continue to guide me.

Grandmother Sarah and Aunt Clara

On my father’s side, my grandmother Sarah (my namesake) died young, at just forty-nine. Eventually, my grandfather remarried a remarkable woman named Clara. She stepped into a family with five sons, five daughters-in-law, and fourteen grandchildren. By grace, grit, and love, she won everyone over.

We were asked to call her Aunt Clara out of respect for my late grandmother. But in my heart, she was truly my grandmother. I once whispered in her ear, “I wish I could call you Grandma. I love you.” That memory still lives with me me.

Little did I know then that one day I would also become a grandmother in a blended family. By her example, Aunt Clara showed me how to step into such a role with tenderness and strength. Today, I honor her not as Aunt Clara but as my grandmother—a woman I deeply respect and admire.

A Legacy of Strong Women

I was blessed with a circle of women who shaped my life: my grandmothers, my mother, and my aunts. They taught me values, resilience, and how to navigate life with grace. Not a day goes by that I don’t miss them. If only I could sit with them once more for a conversation, a hug, or a kiss.

Their influence has carried into my own journey as a grandmother. With more than twenty grandchildren who call me Honey (the very name that became Honey Good), I ask myself often: What do I want to leave in their hearts and minds? 

My Honey Do’s: Teaching by Example

I believe grandchildren learn as much (if not more) through what we do than what we say. These are my Honey Do’s, the lessons I try to impart through action:

• I  teach my Grands through my actions because visualization oftentimes speaks louder than my words.
• Therefore, my laughter teaches them to see the glass half full.
• My inquisitiveness teaches them to explore life.
• My problem-solving shows them where there is a will, there is a way.
• Hugs and millions of kisses teach them loving ways.
• My desire to help others teaches them empathy and compassion for others.
• Giving my time and money as a volunteer teaches them charity.

My Hony-isms

Alongside my actions, I sprinkle words of wisdom. These are the phrases my grandchildren might one day hear in their heads when life grows complicated that have some from their Honey: 

• “See the glass half full. Make lemonade out of lemons.”
• When they leave me, I say, “Watch your backside.”
• Family First.
• Don’t expect others to do it for you. Do for yourself.
• Happiness is not here for the taking. Go out and create your own through self-accomplishment.
• Value yourself and you will be valued.
• Live outside the box!
• Take the high road.
• Life is all about showering love to others.

These sayings, my darling, are small legacies. They are breadcrumbs for my grandchildren to follow as they walk their own paths.

Grandparents’ Day and Today’s Technology

We live in an era unlike the one I grew up in. Many of us are separated from our grandchildren by miles, or, in some painful cases, estrangement. Yet, technology offers us new ways to connect.

With a smartphone or laptop, we can send photos, share emojis, and host video calls that bridge the distance. I encourage you to use these tools boldly. They are not replacements for hugs, but they keep the love alive across distance and time. Where there is a will, there truly is a way.

The Gift of Grandparenting

Being a grandparent is a sacred role. We are the keepers of stories, the teachers of values, the carriers of family traditions. The lessons my grandmothers gave me now ripple forward through me to my grandchildren.

On this Grandparents Day, I honor my grandmothers’ legacies while reflecting on the legacy I hope to leave behind. More than heirlooms or objects, I wish to leave behind joy, wisdom, resilience, and unconditional love.

A Reflection on Grandparents’ Day

Darling, what memories do you hold of your grandmothers? What stories, values, or sayings remain with you? And as a grandmother, what do you hope to pass down? Will it be laughter, resilience, faith, or love?

Grandparenting is not about perfection, it is about presence! If even one phrase, one lesson, or one gesture of love takes root in our grandchildren’s lives, then we have succeeded.

So, on this Grandparents Day, I encourage you to celebrate not only your role as a grandparent but also the legacy of those who came before you. Carry their wisdom with you, and pass it forward with grace.

Happy Grandparents’ Day, Darling

My hope is that when our grandchildren face life’s ups and downs, they’ll pause for a moment and think, “Grandma once told me this,” or “I remember when she showed me that.”  That, darling, is the ultimate gift. Happy Grandparents’ Day! Amen