In my life I have been fortunate enough to grow up with both of my grandmothers with me. They have always been, and always will be, two of the most important women, and people, in my life. I can’t even begin to imagine thanking them for everything they deserved to be thanked for in one article because there is no way so much gratitude could fit on one page, but what I can write are the life lessons that they both have taught me so well. What amazes me though is that these weren’t even the lessons that they intended to teach me, yet they have shaped the person I am today. So, to all the grandmothers out there, especially mine, thank you so much for teaching us what no one else could. I love you both more than I could ever express.

This first lesson is one I didn’t learn, nor fully comprehend, until recent years. People tell you to follow your heart all of the time – so much, to the point that it has become a cliché, but preaching this through practice has so much more of an astounding effect. Both of my grandmothers have enjoyed decades of happy love with their significant others, however, being with that significant other wasn’t always the easy option. They both pursued a love that in some way, shape, or form was not orthodox, nor widely accepted. Yet, their marriages are filled with so much love and happiness, I can’t imagine of what they would have been deprived had they not listened to their hearts many years ago.

This next lesson, in my opinion, is part of the reason that grandmothers were put on the planet – to teach that tradition is, and always will be, important. Whether it was through instilling traditional manners in me, making sure that I knew how to properly set a formal dinner table, showing me family recipes, or even assuring that I never wear white after Labor Day, I quickly picked up on how valuable tradition and preservation of practices is to one’s life. Without tradition, so much that is special and unique to a family dissipates and treasured memories and moments cannot continue to be shared.

However, as important as it to be a proper and traditional young lady, it’s also okay to let loose and have fun sometimes. This was a side of me, that after becoming quickly familiarized with the previous lesson, I was hesitant to show to my grandmothers. You always hear “don’t do something you couldn’t show your grandma.” And while that is a pretty fair standard to live by, I realized that I get some of my ‘wild side’ right from them – actually, they probably outrank me on that scale by a landslide. While my one grandmother was caught with a beer can pyramid in her dorm at nursing school, my other grandmother used to skip her high school Chemistry class to go get ice cream with her boyfriend (now my grandpa) on the regular. But, somehow they both managed to turn out perfectly okay.

Neither of them are total party animals though, they actually are some of the most driven and dedicated people I know. They taught me that hard work and initiative go a long way. They are both the kind of people who see a problem and do something to try and fix it. They write letters to politicians, they organize community events, one of them even went to Congress to support an argument regarding a law that affected her profession. I have seen the benefits of their work, both professional and not, reaped by not only them personally, but their families as well – which has provided dozens of people with comfortable lives full of love and ease.

The most important lesson, by far, is how much each of them have taught me how important it is to love others. The two of them are both the quintessence of generosity and opening one’s heart to love and to help and to support those who need it. Although they do this and have done this in different ways, their unwavering dedication to helping others is something I will forever admire. If I one day am able to open my home, offer my belongings and blessings, and care for people with as little hesitation and as much enthusiasm as each of my grandmothers do, I will owe all the rewards that such altruism has to offer to them.

I will forever be thankful of my grandmothers and for all they have taught me – which goes so far beyond what is written in this article. Mamma and Mommy Bet, I love you both so much and look forward to learning so much more. A million times over, thank you.