• I have always admired my grandparents on both sides of my family. One particular moment stands out in my mind, however. That moment is the day of my paternal grandparents’ fiftieth wedding anniversary. It is the memory of how the event made me feel about how people live their lives.

    I recall that their anniversary was merely, at first, a great way to visit family. At least, that’s the way it seemed to me. My parents wanted to make sure that the day was special for my grandparents. I was just excited to be able to visit my cousins. We had not seen each other in a very long time, and I was excited.

    A lot of the time we spent together was getting ready for the anniversary party. Everyone
    was trying to do something to make sure that the day would be special. All the close family had something special to help with. My cousins and I decorated tables and made mints. My parents acted the part of the host and hostess. One of my aunts made food, one of my uncles made sure nothing ran out, and my other uncle put together and ran a program for the party. All of us sang songs that we knew Granny and Granddad would love.

    I was very nervous, at first, when we sang, simply because so many people had shown up. Most of them, I did not know. Some of them I did know, but not very many. I’m fairly sure that
    there were at least a hundred people who showed up. Of course, not everyone could stay, but those who could not brought gifts and stories to make up for it. In fact, it seemed like almost everyone had a story about Granny and Granddad.

    Some of the stories I heard were serious in tone; others were humorous; still others were
    almost satirical. The words of those stories are lost to me now, I cannot recall them. However, I do recall that most of the stories had a very certain theme. Every single story I heard that day was a testimony to the love, kindness, and generosity of my paternal grandparents. Listening to those stories made me very proud to be their granddaughter.

    I did not get to hear many of the stories, however, I spent most of my time working in the
    back room to make sure that we didn’t run out of things. I remember decorating the main room in bright red roses, with rose petals on the table, but what I remember more is sitting in that back room–a small kitchen area, really–singing songs with my cousins and making cream cheese mints shaped like roses and leaves. It was, I think, one of the happiest moments of my life.

    Occasionally I would be sent out to see if we needed anything extra when it came to food,
    and if a break could be had from the work. When it was possible, we all came out and joined the party. I spent most of it watching my grandparents. I cannot recall seeing them any happier than that moment.

    Granddad was tall, quiet, and loving. He was so happy that day, and so overwhelmed by
    how many people had come to celebrate with them that he had, at one point, begun to cry with the pure joy of it. Granny was almost the complete opposite. Shorter, soft, and very warm of heart, she simply glowed. She was beautiful, especially then, and I recall most her bright laughter and her easy smile. She had, I believe, the best sense of humor of all the people I have ever met. Seeing my grandparents like that was a very special treat.

    Part of what made the day special was how long Granny and Granddad had been married.
    I do not know what other people think, but fifty years is a very long time to be married in today’s society in my opinion. The fact that they had been married that long, that their love had survived for so many years was and is still amazing to me.

    The other thing that makes the event truly special to me is not quite so happy. Only a little
    while before, Granny had become ill. She had to have heart surgery, and suffered a stroke during that time. The doctors did not realize until later, and while it wasn’t major, Granny was slowly forgetting the sequence of information. To see her so happy, and remembering people and events was a very special thing to me.

    The event itself was held in a small church. I do not recall exactly where, but I do
    remember that it did not have many buildings nearby, and that there were very gorgeous trees growing out front. The inside of the church was clean, bright, and cheerful. The parishioners allowed us to use the building because Granddad was once the minister there, and they felt it was only fair after all he had done for them.

    Many of the guests also attested to the impact that Granny and Granddad had made on the
    lives of others. Multiple stories of lessons learned from Granddad, when he worked at the
    Multnomah Bible College, were told, though I can no longer remember exactly what he taught. The people who told these stories showed appreciation for the influence that my grandparents had on their lives.

    It was truly amazing to watch how so many different people, some strangers even, could
    come together and make one day very special for two people who had simply been kind,
    generous, and loving. By the time the event was ending, I hoped that my own fiftieth anniversary, should I have one, would be like that. I realize now why the day was so special and why so many people came to help. All of them wanted to return the kindness and love that they had been given. I realize now, that the day was a result of giving and loving while expecting nothing in return.

    When I think about that day, I think about my father’s mother. While Granny is no longer
    with us, God bless her soul, she lives on in my memories and in my heart. I can recall her more easily, thinking of this day, because of a single memento I collected in order to remember the feeling of the day. I gathered the memento from the decorated tables. To me, that day will always be love, kindness, and a jar of rose petals collected to keep memories fresh.