September 20, 2014 By Alivia L. Whitaker
We went to a lot of places when I was growing up. My family traveled quite a bit. Sun Valley, Idaho, was a regular stop every fall, winter and some summers. Another resort town we frequented was Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, especially in the summers. My three brothers and I were fortunate enough to tag along with my parents to places like Hawaii, Yellowstone, Mexico the Caribbean, Arizona and the Oregon Coast. I have such good memories traveling with my family and those memories always include two people: my grandma and grandpa.
My parents invited my Grandma and Grandpa with us everywhere. They were always really patient with us kids. My parents told us once that they were . . .
We went to a lot of places when I was growing up. My family traveled quite a bit. Sun Valley, Idaho, was a regular stop every fall, winter and some summers. Another resort town we frequented was Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, especially in the summers. My three brothers and I were fortunate enough to tag along with my parents to places like Hawaii, Yellowstone, Mexico the Caribbean, Arizona and the Oregon Coast. I have such good memories traveling with my family and those memories always include two people: my grandma and grandpa.
My parents invited my Grandma and Grandpa with us everywhere. They were always really patient with us kids. My parents told us once that they were . . .
were planning the next trip, and they decided that they were going to take Grandma and Grandpa with us as long as they could. They loved to travel as well, and I think they loved being with us kids. My young memories of Disneyland would not be complete without my grandma riding rides with us.
Waikiki Beach Hawaii My grandma especially loved Hawaii. I remember standing on Waikiki Beach with her once when I was maybe 13. It was night, and the clear water and sand were warm. The moon had come up over the ocean and Polynesian music sounded from a distant luau. We just stood there, holding hands and soaking it in. My Grandma, who was a quiet woman, suddenly said: “How can you see something like this and not believe in God?” I will always remember that.
Playmill Theater in West Yellowstone, Montana We had a family tradition to attend the Playmill Theater in West Yellowstone, Montana every time they performed Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, a family favorite. My mother was a performer at the theater when she was in college, so my grandparents have been going there for years. We’ve always taken my grandma and grandpa along as well throughout my life.
When I was attending college at Brigham Young University – Idaho in the Southeastern part of the state, a “Mother’s Week” was held where students were encouraged to invite their mothers to come visit. It wasn’t even a question that my grandmother would also come along.
My grandparents lived four hours away from my parents’ home. So, since they weren’t part of my daily life all the time, I’m so grateful we had those trips to spend so much time with them.
Grandma is everything I’ve always wanted to be. She seems to be my exact opposite: she’s unassuming, very organized, diligent, dedicated, patient and selfless. She loves music; she plays the piano and organ and has been singing her entire life. She is a sewing and gardening aficionado.
She has a beautiful home full of beautiful things that she has always kept pristine and impeccable throughout my life. My favorite item in her whole house is a painting of my grandmother when she was a young woman. You can see that she was quite petite, had perfect, smooth, olive-colored skin and gorgeous eyes. The framed painting is on a piece of silk and was commissioned by my grandfather from a photo he had of Grandma when he was serving in the military in Korea.
For me, my Grandma is the ultimate lady, a lovely human being with charity for everyone around her. I’ll never forget those years of travel, and I’ll never forget holding hands with her one night on a moonlit beach in Hawaii.