Grandma Betty’s

“And every day, the world will drag you by the hand, yelling, “This is important! And this is important! And this is important! You need to worry about this! And this! And this!” And each day, it’s up to you to yank your hand back, put it on your heart and say, “No. This is what’s important.”― Iain Thomas

That quote hangs on Betty’s refrigerator next to photos of her family and artwork from the grandkids. And honestly, in the very short amount of time that I got to know her, I can tell she lives these words too.

Betty is the grandmother/ grandmother-in-law/ great grandmother/ of one of my YITL families. Because of COVID, her family members have only seen her a couple of times- socially distanced and masked, However, the vaccine allowed them to enjoy time together over the weekend, and I got to witness it.

She is a teacher- still working full time at her local culinary school. She baked with her granddaughter and great-granddaughters while I visited, and the way that her hands guided theirs made me long for the days my grandma was around to help me in the kitchen and while I watched her sew. She had trinkets, photos, and teddy bears on nearly every surface of her house- making it a magical place for three little girls under 5…and me.

This session affected me in a way no other job has. It reminded me of my purpose and about what’s important. I’ll keep it and her refrigerator quote on my heart.