Grandparents

This post comes after I read a friend's Thanksgiving post where she mentioned her grandmother's china. And I began thinking about my own grandmother's china.

My grandma's china was Homer Laughlin Virginia Rose. The dishes are considered antiques and I'd like to add, made in the USA. Most people associate china with formal dinners, holiday dinners, or dishes stacked neatly in a cupboard. But Grandma Rothrock did not reserve her china for special occassions. She used it every single day of the week. Not because she was a formal person or had a formal house, just the opposite. She was a somewhat simple, in a good way, woman and my grandparents lived in a nice small house. She loved flowers and worked hard. As did all of my grandparents. I think my grandma used the Virginia Rose dishes everyday because she loved them. She had lots of china and dishes stashed in their attic. But she chose these dishes to use. Even their cat was fed on a small Virginia Rose plate. And every day, she'd stand at the sink, usually perspiring from the kitchen that was still hot from some delicious meal and from the hot water she had her hands submerged in, and would gently wash those dishes. I always knew that I wanted those to someday be my dishes. Not because of a price tag, but because it was something my grandma loved.

When I think about those dishes today, I feel a connection to my grandma. Seeing those dishes takes me back to my childhood and the many wonderful memories I have of my Grandma Rothrock. She was also the first grandparent I lost, meaning the one I had the least amount of time with. I wish they were all still here, especially... {OK pregnancy emotions really kicking in here} at this time in my life. I still have one remaining grandfather who lives in FL, but FL is a long way from Michigan. I do hope he will someday be able to meet our child.

I was truly blessed with four, wonderful, amazing grandparents. We always lived about 5 hours from my grandparents, so I feel like my time with them was always special. But at the same time, I took them for granted. I wish I had, had more time with them as an adult. But they each taught me a lot about hard work, love, and family. My grandpa in FL (actually my mom's step father as her father passed away too young, but my grandpa my entire life), last time I was down to visit, shared his first wife's troubles and scares in childbearing. He began to tear up. I felt a connection with my grandpa in our shared struggles.

As our child is still growing in the safety of my womb, I pray that he or she will have many, many wonderful years with his or her grandparents and get to know them deeply. We often contemplate using family names for our children. But we loved each one so dearly, there is no way we could choose just one or two names to use. So we'll give our child a name of their own, but make sure they know how special and dear their grandparents and great-grandparents are and were.