It Is Important to Serve

Grandpa taught me that it is important to serve God.  When I was a little girl, my grandparents went on two separate missions.  One to Seattle, Washington and one to London, England.  While they were gone, they missed the things going on at home ... births, baptisms, holidays, birthdays ... and I missed them!

I missed walking next door to their house and playing with the box of wooden blocks on their living room floor.  I missed Grandpa handing me a lollipop, or Grandma slipping me a cookie from the strawberry cookie jar.  I missed Grandma singing and Grandpa's hugs.

I knew they missed me too, but I also knew the reason they were gone.  They went on those missions because they understood the importance of serving.  They knew that we need to love and serve our brothers and sisters here on this earth.  And they knew that as we serve each other, we are truly serving God.

It's Good to Laugh

In continuing with the things my Grandpa Huntsman has taught me....

Grandpa taught me that it's good to laugh.  I love listening to my grandpa laugh.  He's got this great laugh that starts as a breathy chuckle that grows into a belly laugh and continues building until he's laughing so hard that no sound is coming out.  He's just wheezing with a big grin on his face.  He laughs so hard that, as you watch him, you can't help but wonder if he's going to keep breathing.

My grandpa is always on the lookout for something that will make him so happy he can laugh right out loud.  That's how I want to be.

What My Grandpa Taught Me

So, it's been a crazy busy summer for me, as I'm sure it has been for many of you.  One of the recent activities was a week long camping trip in southern Utah, which included a family reunion and birthday celebration for my Grandpa Huntsman.  He's going to be 102 in September.  Yep.  You read that right.  102.  I grew up living next door to my Grandpa and Grandma, and although Grandma passed away when I was young, they both taught me many things.

So, in tribute to my grandpa, and in the spirit of finding hopeful things that make me smile, for the next couple weeks, I'm going to post about things my grandpa has taught me.  Please feel free to leave comments about what your grandparents have taught you.  I'd love to hear them!

Grandpa taught me that it's okay to cry.  I remember Grandma Huntsman singing "The Moon Shines Tonight on Pretty Redwing" with tears rolling down her cheeks.  I remember Grandpa listening to me and my daughter sing that song at a Christmas Eve party a few years ago (nearly 20 years after Grandma's passing).  He also had tears rolling down his cheeks.  Grandma had cried for Redwing.  Grandpa cried for Grandma, and he was not embarrassed or ashamed.  I will never forget that.