Tonight I was making mashed potatoes and as I was draining the water out, the steam rushed up and the smell overwhelmed me. I thought of my Grandma Rowley, one of my favorite people. I realized that I don't really think of her as much as I ought to. She lived a good life and was a wonderful woman.
I lived at her house several months before she passed away. I was only 19 and looking back I was pretty selfish. I was happy to live with her in the house I loved and I wanted to help out but toward the end it got kind of hard for me. She couldn't talk for the last few months and we would just sit in the living room together. I felt awkward talking because she couldn't respond, which is so dumb now that I think of it. I should have talked or sang or whatever. I just studied or read. Dumb.
That is one of the biggest regrets I have in my life.
Grandma raised four boys into amazing men, always had an organized house, studied her scriptures faithfully, was a temple worker for YEARS and served in many church callings faithfully. (I still meet people here in Cedar that remember when she was the Stake Relief Society President.) These are a few things that I want to work on in my life. If I could accomplish half of what she did, I would be a blessed woman.
Last week Sheri Dew came to Cedar and gave a fireside. (It was amazing, but that is another post.) She talked about the influence her grandmother had on her life. She basically said, "How can you measure that influence?" I've thought about that a lot. How can we measure the influence, good or bad, we will have on people around us, especially on our children. We can't measure it, really, but we can realize that as woman we have great power to aid those around us and hopefully influence their lives for good.
Lois Pearl Robison Rowley was an elect lady. I want to be like her someday.
6 comments:
That's way sweet, Robyn. She was really amazing and definitely someone we can all strive to be like.
Amen. I miss her.
She made a delicious feast!!
Robyn, I have always regretted not being more like you at the end with grandma. You moved in and helped so much...it was hard but you did it anyway. And you WERE young, and you did what you could. I admired you so much for that and still do. I never visited her enough when I lived there. I remember having a FHE with her about what makes FHE good, and hearing the things she had to say and realizing all that she'd done in her life and all the wisdom she had...yet I still never fully took advantage of it. I just knew she cooked us tons of food whenever we were there. :)
Anyway, I think you are more like her than you think!
Well said, Robyn. Grandma had a profound effect on me when I lived in Cedar on my own and was going to college. She and I spent a lot of time together, and she taught me an amazing amount. I always felt like I had been gypped by the fact that my mom's mom died before I born and my dad's mom got Alzheimer's pretty young. It was an enormous blessing to get to have that type of relationship with Lois. Even since she's died, I've gotten the distinct feeling that she has been watching over Brooklyn and I as we've struggled through the last few years. It's been hard to live here again and not be able to stop by and visit with her.
Thank you Robyn for reminding us of what we should never forget: the legacy of an amazing woman. I miss her terribly sometimes. We need to be reminded of what wonderful things are possible if we work hard and love the Lord. She was absolutely an elect lady and I am grateful that you shared this with us. I love you!
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