A Day of Joy

January 12th has always been important in my life. It was my Grandma Frances' birthday. This lady has so much to do with the person I am today that it is hard to even put it into words. I know that I could blog for years and years about all of the wonderful memories I have with her. You have probably noticed that she has popped up in many of the posts I have done throughout the years.
She is the reason I have a love for winter in my heart. She pointed out the joy in every season and showed me how much I had to be thankful for. I loved how she could see the beauty in everything. I am so thankful that she instilled the importance of this in me.
She believed in the importance of faith, family, and friends. She cared so deeply for all those she knew and would have done anything for any of them. Her and my Mom would take me along to their Christian Womens meetings and helped me to understand how important a relationship with Jesus would be in my life. She always reminded me that life would never be easy or perfect, but we should have joy because of the days we have been given and becuase we could all spend eternity together in heaven because of Jesus' grace!
I am so thankful for all of the memories, especially all of the little things. Letting me cook with her, slumber parties on Friday nights so that we could go rummaging on Saturday mornings, decorating her house for every holiday, doing crafts. When I was sick all the time before my bladder/kidney surgery I would stay at her house while my parents were at work, which admittedly made wanting to feel better and get back to school hard to do. When I went off to college, her phone calls and letters became even more valuable to me. Both Max and I miss having a card or letter in the mail every week or two, instead of just bills. It is one of the reasons we love sending cards and letters to our family and friends! She taught me that it is those little things that you can do for others that really make a difference. To often, we think that since we can't do something big to make a difference we just can't make a difference at all. But there a so many little things you can do each and every day that will make a difference in lives of those around you! Thank you Grandma for showing me these things!

Today I have geat joy from all of the wonderful memories I made with my Grandma. She was such a blessing. And now January 12th has even more special meaning to me because my mother-in-law also has a birthday today. I have many wonderful women in my life to give thanks for on this day!