I'd like to introduce you to two of the most wonderful, the most wonderful in my opinion, people living today, my grandparents. My Grandmother is Dolores, who was a nurse for a few years before falling in love with a slightly older gentleman Melvin. They had three daughters, one of them, if you can deduce was my mother. My grandmother raised her daughters with love, femininity, charm and grace. She's one of those woman who while playing the perfect stereotype of a cookie making grandmother you can tell she is wise beyond words. When not helping out in Detroit at a homeless shelter, she's doing a million different things from volunteering everywhere, to her book and sewing club. My grandfather, a WWII veteran is a man of few words yet never, ever would you call him cold. He is the most loving, caring, smartest man I know. In a land full of boys masquerading as men, he is the pinnacle of which, all young men should hope to achieve. Besides being Dearborn, MI tennis champ, he is well known for his strength of doing push ups in his eighties, his mind is sharper than I could ever hope for, for fun he plays chess. He's the perfect blend of strength and brawn. He's 91 now, just slowing down a little, and still (this will sound like a rose colored exaggeration...trust me, it's not) does more and has more energy than the rest of the family combined. At 90, he was still chopping down trees. I so fortunate to have all four of my grandparents alive and while I love my other grandparents, our relationship is polite, respectful and distant; I'd prefer it that way.
If you've ever wondered where I got my political beliefs from, the closet one could guess in hindsight would be my grandparents. If I had to describe them, I'd call them Rockefeller Republicans. First of all, they aren't wealthy, or at least that's what I know. They have financially protected themselves and will never want for anything, but they aren't driven to extravagance. They've traveled all over the world and that was their luxury, that they still indulge in every few years or so.
I went over their house one morning, invited for the best breakfast ever, blueberry-bacon pancakes (in which fresh bacon is broken up into the batter of the pancake mix and it is the best thing you will ever taste which has to be accompanied by maple syrup bought on a trip up north). As always we discussed politics, they are self described "independents" but they really are Republicans. They voted together, never on purpose, on Eisenhower, Nixon, Goldwater, Nixon, Ford, Reagan, Bush, Bush the second time, Dole and then 2000 happened. They like me are adamant McCain supporters, (although in the issue of full transparency, I supported Bush over McCain in 2000 believe a lie that he had fathered a black child and was pro-choice all lies feed to us by some very unethical people, although I don't believe Bush himself). After McCain lost, they supported Gore, a Democrat for the first time. In 2004, they wanted Lieberman (which in hindsight so would I, but I supported Bush. After Lieberman didn't get the nom., they voted for Kerry. Now in 2008 they favor McCain, Giuliani, although my grandfather chimed in he also was considering Hillary. They never vote or do anything in malice. They simply vote on the better of the two candidates. I'm learning to vote like them, but the stubborn Republican in me is fighting tooth and nail.
My grandparents don't believe in judgment as a rule. They believe in self judgment and more importantly the need for more love in this world of ours. They only offer compassion to anyone they meet. They are kind beyond words. I love them so much. Going back to their views they are environmentalist who took us and our cousins camping for years. They believe that nature is God's gift to us and we should protect it and it is our duty to do so. They are also large supporters of the public arts, with them taking me, their first grandchild :) and all subsequent, grandchildren to art museums, science museums, history museums, the symphony, plays the works. They've cultured me, made me appreciate the better things in life, like wine never beer, and old films rather than new, and I cannot thank them enough. They've never missed a week of church; they love God and believe in loving people at where they are at. When it comes to their knowledge of politics, they know everything, but they aren't political junkies. They read the morning paper, (another thing I love about them) and watch the evening news with Brian Williams. When I told them I was watching Katie Couric over at CBS, my grandmother wrinkled her nose and said "oh...herrrr."
If this whole piece reeks of sainthood, it should. They are living saints. You may disagree with them occasionally, I do often, but you will never find them disagreeable. They are filled with absolute humility which of of course only makes them more enduring. They would kill me (ok just love me more) if they found out I had written such a love letter about them. They'd tell you they weren't perfect about how Christ was the one and only to walk on Earth, clean without fault. They'd tell you about their faults which would only become attributes, like how my grandfather smoked leaving out the story about he quit the second my Aunt Pat (their first) was born. He never touched another cigarette for the rest of his life. They are my heroes, my purpose, and my belief in the ultimate good of people. If I can live a life a fraction as well as they have, I will die a most happy man. I know one day God will call his living angels home. I don't know what I'll do without them, but I'll be comforted by the memories, all good not one bad, I've shared with them. That isn't an accident or selective memory, it's simply being around people good to down to their core.