Day 9: You're The Inspiration

Oh hey there, took a little hiatus whilst gallivanting across the country to do some recruiting at the good ol' BYU.

This post is about the people in my life who inspire me. The following two women have meant a lot to me over the course of my life. I have learned a lot about the kind of life I ought to lead through their example.

Grandma Y.

My paternal grandma was the meekest woman I ever knew. This is her story, in condensed form of course: Her mother died when she was six. Her dad returned to old habits and practically left her and her brother to the care of their Auntie. She grew up and met my grandpa in high school (Grandpa was a good friend of Grandma's brother). Grandpa and Grandma's brother were both sent to the South Pacific where the latter died at the Battle of Iwo Jima. Grandpa returned they married, and soon after started a family. Grandma continued to exude patience the remainder of her life through scores of other trials. I never heard her complain or express a negative or unkind thought about any situation or person. She died in 2006, and I'll always think of her as the most patient, the meekest, and the sweetest soul I've ever known. She inspires me to be more kind and more patient regardless of the circumstances in which I find myself.

Grandma C.

My maternal grandma is the strongest, most valiant woman I have ever known. She too was hit hard by the calamities of war, and her first husband was killed by a sniper in France after the war was over. She served a mission after his death in the Western Canada mission, and requested to have her call extended and she served for 26 months. When she returned and began her studies at BYU, she met my grandpa and they married. He has been gone for 20 years now, and she remains faithful in every way to the testimony she has always had. She went on to be called to two other missions. I often find her reading her scriptures when I call on her at home (now the rare occurrence). She says over and over that she loves the Gospel of Jesus Christ and that she is grateful every day for her membership in His Church. She has a strong will, and I know where I get it from. But the beauty of that will is that she spends so much time yielding it to her Father in Heaven. She truly is a remarkable woman.