There is nothing quite like a grandpa. Whether it be swinging on the front porch together, chatting over a cup of coffee, or listening to the stories he tells, every moment with him is the closest thing to treasure you’ll ever really find on Earth. Here are 10 things we learn from our incredible, ornery, and irreplaceable grandpas.
1. Strength
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Grandpas have a quiet, humble strength incomparable to anyone else. Maybe it comes with the grandfather job description, or maybe it is ingrained in who they are. Either way, grandpas are men who teach us how to be strong when we need to be and give their strength to us when we need it most.
2. Work
Grandpas may run farms, grandpas may be businessmen, and grandpas may be professional golfers. Whatever their title, though, some of the greatest knowledge of how to work, and work hard, comes from them. You can see their determination and commitment in the wrinkles around their eyes and the strength in their worn and calloused hands.
3. How to be glue
Grandpas are glue. They hold families together as they sit at the head of the Sunday dinner table or as they call to make sure you are OK to drive when the weather gets bad. We watch our grandpas as they gaze proudly at the families they’ve raised, seeing how they hold us together if we just look closely.
4. When to talk
Grandpas speak and everyone listens. Some of us are guilty of talking too much, some for talking out of turn. Grandpas, though, have an uncanny way of saying what needs to be said and leaving it there, making it powerful.
5. How to be melted
Grandpas may be strong and they may be the hardest workers, but they do know how to melt when it comes to their grandchildren. Is there anything quite as sweet as seeing a grandfather hug his granddaughter tightly or lay a gentle hand on the shoulder of his grandson? No, there never could be.
6. How to tell the best jokes
Grandpas consistently have the most hilarious jokes, whether they are brand new or you have heard them 500 times. Laughter comes easily with grandpas, because when they laugh, you do too. And let’s be honest, half the time, watching grandpas get tickled at their own jokes makes you laugh harder than the jokes themselves.
7. The value of helping
Grandpas embody selflessness. They are one call away, whether we call to ask them how to fix our car or to spend their whole Father’s Day helping with a farm emergency. Don’t you love that about grandpas? They teach us the beauty in putting others first.
8. How to dress up
Grandpas are the sharpest dressers. Boys, take notes! If you ever want to see someone who looks handsome in a suit, look to a grandfather. When occasions call to be dressed up, grandpas know exactly how to look like movie stars. And as a bonus, they almost always keep a handkerchief in their pockets, because they are true gentlemen.
9. Family
Grandpas show us what family means. They set the tone and they teach us how to grow. We admire them as they stand as some of the most important men in our lives. I don’t know about you, but I have spent all of my years watching my grandpa, taking notes on how to be as wonderful as he is someday.
10. Love
Grandpas are love, simply put. Through the hugs, the stories, and the memories, we learn to love because of these men. We observe them as they love our grandmas, holding their hand when they most needs support. How many times have they held our hands, too? Countless. By example, they set a standard of what love looks like, and we follow that standard for the rest of our lives. Nothing comes close to how grandpas love us, and nothing could ever compare to how we love them.
