Generations Through the Family

Family is extremely important in most parts of the world. In many different cultures, the children take care of their parents in their old age. The elderly and the youth hold very important places in our society today. The youth grow up to be the ones taking care of the elderly. They are being raised and taught thing that they will use in basic survival. In our class book, Successful Marriages & Families, chapter 17 discusses the support of families across the generations. Many family scholars during the first half of the 20th century were afraid that the children would grow up, move away to start families and jobs of their own, and rarely have contact with their aging parents and their extended families. While in most cases this is true of most families, many families love to be around their families, their parents and grandparents, and their extended family.

In 2003, President Boyd K. Packer taught, "We must teach our youth to draw close to the elderly grandpas and grandmas." How true this is. there are so many important things that we can earn from our grandparents. I know that from my own grandparents, I have learned many important lessons from both my maternal and paternal grandparents.

This is my maternal grandmother. She has been the rock in our family. She is one of the most loving people that I know. She has taught me so many wonderful things about my family history. She teaches me new things all the time. I love being able to cook with her and I love to help her with projects that she has planned. She is an inspiration to me and to my siblings. She is thoughtful and wonderful. She loves all of her grand-kids and great-grand-kids.



This is my maternal grandfather. He has helped me to have a love for many great things. He loves motorcycles, and ever since I was a small child, I would go on motorcycles, even though it would be up a few blocks, or just around town, it made all of us grand-kids so happy. He has taught us a love for Christmas tree lights. He loves it when we come and help him. He is a light in my life. I'm not sure what I would do without him. He loves to spoil each of us with cookies and ice cream.

 My late paternal grandfather, Robert. He passed away about 7 and a half years ago. We weren't the closest, but I do have a couple of good memories of him. I remember when I was really little, he had a big round belly and he would sit me right up on his belly. He taught my dad a lot of useful skills like working on cars, fixing things, and using his skills to help other people. He loved his kids. His oldest daughter is pictured with him. He lived a good long life and served our country in the Air Force. I remember going and helping him, as he got sick. It was often hard to see him as sick as he was, but I still remember the last time I got to talk to him and the last time he told me that he loved me.

This is my late paternal grandmother, Roberta with my younger cousin. She passed away about 5 and a half years ago, on Mother's Day week. It was a really hard time for my family and I, but she gave so many things to our family. She taught my whole family how to work hard, how to flip houses, how to be crafty, and most importantly how to be more like the Savior. She gave so many people so many blessings and she made a big difference in a lot of lives through out the Lincoln community. She taught me what I know about irises (her favorite flower), about gardening, and about paper stamping, something she passionately did to cheer up others, up until about three weeks before she passed away. I could sit there for hours helping her stamp.

While in high school, I thought about going into geriatrics therapy. I thought that it would be very fascinating to work with the elderly and to work with their families. Currently, my mom works with the state to give extra assistance to my great-grandmother (her grandmother). It is programs like these that we are able to help to take care of our elderly.

I love my grandparents. I loved being able to assist my paternal grandparents, and I love to help my maternal grandparents and great-grandparents. I have a great respect to those in the heath care profession who help to take care of our older loved ones. They hold a very special place in my heart. I won't ever forget those many wonderful nurses and hospice aids who helped my paternal grandparents in their last weeks and months of living.