Lessons from my grandfather

My grandfather celebrates  his 94th birthday this week. He is an amazing man, though he recently gave up driving, he still lives by himself in Jacksonville, Florida. Ninety four years is an amazing accomplishment. Psalm 90:10 tells us, "The length of our days is seventy years— or eighty, if we have the strength." I am so proud of my grandfather, he has been an inspiration to me and my family. Today, I thought I would share some lessons I have learned from my grandfather...

1. The importance of family, my grandparent had 6 children, 5 boys and 1 girl. Most of the family still live in the greater Jacksonville area. Through the years I have watched our family go through a few crises; I have seen a few divorces, a few deaths in our family, as well as some troubling health issues; what has been amazing to me is how my family has cared for one another through these difficult times, I believe this is a tribute to family values my grandparents instilled in to their children.
2. A Love for America, my grandfather was part of the greatest generation, he served his country during World War II. One of my earliest memories of my grandfather is the picture of him in his uniform which sat on a table in my grandparent's living room. He does not talk about his military service, but I am glad he choose to serve his country in this way. By the way, all 5 of his sons and his son-in-law have served in the military as well. 
3. The importance of making memories, my grandfather loved to travel, along with my grandmother, the two of them traveled all across America. I am not sure, but I think they have been to all 50 states. Now when I was a teen, I have to be honest watching slides and home movies of their last great expedition was not high on my list, but looking back, I would give anything to watch those slide shows  and movies again. 
4. Circumstances do not define us, My grandfather's father died when was a young boy, as a result he had to live with his older sister. I am sure back in the 1920's this was a difficult circumstance to say the least. However, my grandfather refused to be a victim of circumstances instead he grew up, married and raised a large family. Circumstances did not define him, he defined his circumstances.
5. The importance of heritage, My dad is the oldest son and I am the oldest grandson, several years ago my grandfather gave me a genealogy of our family. It goes all the way back to the 1700's. To find these records my grandfather search family records, visited cemeteries and asked a lot of questions. Today I am so thankful for "The List", it reminds me of my heritage and reminds me of my roots.
6. Have Fun, Now isn't this what being a grandfather is all about! My grandfather owned a boat, a pool table, a camper, and property on a lake, just to name a few things. As a kid, I remember each one of those items and they all carry special memories and every memory is one of joy!
7. Hard Work will always be rewarded, my grandfather taught and modeled hard work, and as a result we all enjoyed the fruits of his labor, and we continue to honor him with our work ethic.
8. Respect for Firearms, my grandfather was a hunter, and he taught his sons and grandsons how to hunt as well. Hunting was never for the joy of killing an animal, we always ate the game we killed. As for firearms, I can remember the guns in his den, we had a healthy respect for the firearms and I believe that is one of the reasons we never had a firearm accident, grandfather taught us guns were tools, not toys. Thus we honored him by respecting the firearms in his home. 
9. Nothing beats a good day of fishing, granddad loved to fish and he taught us how to fish, I still remember my first fishing trip, it was one of the many adventures I have had with my grandfather. I remember catching a fish that day , but more than that I remember how happy my grandfather was for me on that day. Nothing beats a good day of fishing.
10. Celebrate with Food, One of my earliest memories at my grandfather's house was the oyster roast we would have in his backyard. Now you may not be a fan of oysters, but let me tell you once you have had an oyster roast, you are hooked. But oysters was not the only food with which we would celebrate, There were cookouts and candies at Christmas time and my personal favorite, Dunkin' Doughnuts when the family would gather at granddad's house. All the grandchildren would be corralled to the den where we would watch the black and white TV, the adults would gather around the dining room table planning a new adventure and then it would happen, glazed doughnuts and milk, life could not get much better!

There a few more lessons, but I am going to save those for next year, Happy Birthday Granddad, I hope you had a great time at Cracker Barrel today!