This past week, I had a scheduled day off from work and went home to Mom and Dad's to do a little wedding planning. But the day before I came home, my Grandma went into the hospital because of some issues with her heart. Grandma is 95 years young, and still lives at home, drives a car and gets to church almost every day.  She's an excellent seamstress, and still does some mending and sewing for friends and neighbors who love her work.

So, while I was home, Mom and I stopped by to visit Grandma at the hospital.  When I walked in, I immediately thought how great she looked.  She didn't appear sick, and you could tell, she definitely did not want to stay in that hospital one second longer than she had to.  Grandma was quick to comment on how nice her doctors and nurses were to her. She was receiving great care. But for Grandma, there's just no place like home.

While we were there, a therapist came in to have Grandma walk a little bit.  She did so, and did a great job.  But during her conversation with the therapist, I heard Grandma talk about how she broke her leg very badly when she was younger. In fact, it happened when my mom was a baby. Grandma had fallen off a machine shed that was being built, after offering to help my grandpa.  In that split second, I realized all that my grandma had been through.  She raised six children with my grandpa on the farm, and then worked as a seamstress at home when they moved to town.  She endured the loss of my grandpa and other family members. She's celebrated the successes and worried through the rough spots in the lives of her children and grandchildren, all the while staying true to her faith and to her values.  With toughness like that it's no wonder she's made it to 95.

Grandma's back home and doing well. I just hope she knows what a wonderful example she's setting for her children, grandchildren and great-grandkids.  I can only hope to take on life with the determination she's shown through the years.  She's one tough cookie.