Then, another image came to mind. Pictured below is my grandfather Ray Johnson who passed away in late August 2019. There was so much I learned about him, his work history, and his personal life that I didn't know prior to attending his funeral and reading his obituary.
The other day, my sixteen-year-old daughter came to me and said, "I'm going to give you the greatest compliment that you have ever heard. The way people talked about how grand-grandpa Ray treated his wife, great grandma Adlyne. Well, that's the way you treat Mom." Her compliment certainly brought a few tears to my eyes.
My grandma Adlyne (whom I would also categorize in the greatness file) passed away in January 2005 after a long battle with Alzheimer's. My grandpa always called grandma his "forever loving doll" and treated her like an angel. They loved each other so much. And, without knowing it, those same values I have carried into my marriage with my wife, Melissa.
For those who have been following this blog for a while, you know my wife battled leukemia in 2011 and since May of this year has been battling other medical complications, from a failing liver to anemia and a whole host of other ailments. She has just finished a 2-week hospital stay (her 7th such stay since May) and is residing in a nursing home for rehab. She is struggling to regain her strength so she can return home, and we all know it is all in God's Hands.
Who do you think of when you think about greatness?
No comments:
Post a Comment