My grandfather was born into a family of limited means and had to stop going to school after the seventh grade. When he married, he worked 14-hour days at his job. Every night, he would check to make sure his four boys did their homework, as he stressed the importance of education, wanting more for his sons. It worked. My father became a teacher, high school principal and superintendent.
As a boy, my dad planted rose gardens for my grandma, because she loved them. When he left for college, Dad taught Grandpa how to care for them. My dad also painted, and one day, Grandpa picked up one of Dad’s brushes, painting over 150 canvases during the rest of his lifetime. My favorite is one he titled “Roses for Loretta” – my grandmother.
Grandma suffered from Alzheimer’s and eventually was placed in long-term care. Every day, Grandpa would cut roses from her garden and bring them to her, even when she got to the point where she no longer remembered him. After she passed away, he painted a canvas of various colored roses – each color representing a part of their relationship. He framed it, and between the paper backing and the painting, he hid his favorite photo of her. We found that photo years later.
Today, I proudly display this painting as a visual, tangible example of the real love that shaped the person I have become. It is a legacy of love I hope to pass onto my children. I wish my grandfather could know the bounty that has flourished from the seeds of his love, hard work and quiet gestures that he planted so many years ago.
Vanessa
My Grandparents' Legacy of Love
