A phone call with Grandma

For those that know me, you may not be surprised at the fact that I was inspired by a phone call, which made me quickly drive home, and immediately pull up my blog to begin this post. I talk to my grandparents every two weeks or so. We mostly talk on the phone, but we also talk via gmail chat (yes, they are that cool), and sometimes we Skype. 

As I'm sitting at the dining room table drinking my homemade fruit smoothie and watching a stinkbug out of the corner of my eye, my mind is playing back the conversation I had with my grandma today while walking downtown. The conversation wasn't out of the ordinary. We typically talk for over an hour and we discuss our lives, the weather, the future, the past, and any random thoughts we may have. Often, my grandpa will appear in the background with a sarcastic comment, which always gets us off track, but I look forward to those moments. 

The lovely g-rents 

So, why write a blog post if the conversation wasn't out of the ordinary? Well, I want to recognize my grandma, along with all of the other members in my family. Family is my rock and to be honest, whenever I think about my family or talk about my family I often become emotional. I can't imagine my life without these individuals. Each member helps complete me. I know I may sound dramatic, but when thinking about it and reflecting, these are the words that come to mind. It's so very important to recognize the individuals who complete you. I don't mean sending flowers or presents, I mean taking an hour to have a phone conversation, or scheduling a Skype conversation, or sending a quick email or text. Consistently making an effort to keep these individuals in your life because you want to; because you love them. 

There are a few family members in which I haven't reached out to as often as I would like. While talking to my grandma today, I recognized that and today I make that change. 

My grandma doesn't know how inspirational she truly is. I've never met anyone who gives without ever complaining. I've never met anyone who can lift me up so high, yet be honest when necessary. At the end of the day, she understands me. She can read my thoughts just by my facial expressions and she always knows what to say at each moment. Every second I have with her I'm learning. I'm learning how to be a better individual and how to help make this world a better place. The incredible thing is she doesn't try. It's natural to her and those individuals are truly a gift to this world. I'm so blessed to have incredible grandparents, incredible parents, incredible siblings, incredible friends, and an incredible family. No one is perfect and our relationships with each other are not perfect either, but man, there is so much good, there is so much happiness, there is so much love, and I want to take more time to recognize all of that.

It's simple to get caught up in the negative, to become 'too busy,' or to put others on the back burner. Focus on the positive, lean on these individuals when the negative becomes overwhelming, always take time to reach out, and never put anyone on the back burner.  

Appreciate. Love unconditionally. Open yourself up. Lean on others. Ask for help. Help others. Express feelings. Spend time with these individuals. Make an effort.

To my family. I love you. So very much. I appreciate you. So very much. 

"I'll talk to you soon."

Xoxo, Jodi Leanne.