I believe you should consider yourself forever grateful if you have had the blessing of growing up with a grandmother. This beautiful soul pictured above is the only I’ve had, the only one I’ve known. My maternal grandmother died when I was very young and I never got the much wanted opportunity to get to know and learn from her.

My grandmother grew up in Montana, near Ronan. She grew up poor, very poor. She shared one bed with ALL her siblings, there was six of them. She’s a fighter, she’s a survivor, she’s endured and survived struggles that would kill any modern person today.

Her and her siblings helped there parents run the farm and she only completed the eighth grade until much later when she earned her GED. They lived off the land, they raised there own meat, and they canned and preserved a lot of there fruits and vegetables. One of her greatest stories involves there hostile turkey, Sir Galahad. They proudly enjoyed him for Thanksgiving that year.

My grandma married my grandpa when she was sixteen. They were married for 59 years when my grandpa passed away. They made marriage look easy. It wasn’t perfect, they had there flaws, but there love for each other was always stronger than anything else they faced.

Our world now is so incredibly different, riots over disagreements, public shootings, homelessness, and everyone throwing judgement because they feel there way of life is the only way. Where my grandma grew up was located on the Flathead Indian Reservation. She remembers being terrified when she would see the Indians dressed in there attire. But everyone found a way to get along and live together, even after all the struggles the Indians had endured and continued to endure. The Indians remained true to there culture, and continued on with there way of life the best way they could.

My grandmother has lived a simple life, which has turned into a blessing to me. She has taught me not to make life too complicated and simply enjoy the little things around you.

My life has had it’s many struggles and failures. I can always count on her way to show me how to keep that faithful strength to keep moving until it gets better. There are days I feel like giving up, but honestly my problems are mediocre compared to what she’s been through. She has seen A LOT in her 78 years so far and my only hope is that I can remain that strong when I make it that far.

If you have a grandmother like mine? Cherish her. Visit her often. Listen to her stories. Learn from her. Take her advice weather you agree with it or not, chances are, she’s right.