My Grandma is Facebook

Dear Grandma Jean,

I'm writing this letter because I'm entering an online writing contest. I'm sure you're going to read it before I even get the chance to show you it myself.

That's because, after 81 years, you've made the effort to keep in contact with every one of your daughters, some of your 12 grandchildren, and a few of your 5 great-grandchildren. On a daily basis.

Some people just get old and give up. They seclude themselves from society, or hate everyone that they birthed and move far, far away to Florida.

Nope. Not you.

You've been here in Milwaukee since the day I was born, nearly three decades ago, and you're still going strong. As a matter of fact, I'm supposed to choose the strongest woman that I know and write a letter to her for this contest. And I chose you.

You're so modest, Grandma, that you're going to say, "Pshh." I can hear it now. You're going to roll your eyes, smile, and pretend like you're not strong at all. You don't have to do that. Not this time. I think you should take credit for it. And this is why.

You are the glue that holds all of us together. If it weren't for you taking a leap of faith when you were younger, we wouldn't be here right now. If you'd never lied to Grandpa about your age, or if you'd listened to all of those people who called you names after you got pregnant before getting married, you wouldn't have a family of DJs, writers, chefs, tech geniuses, racers, comedians, or philanthropists. You would have never seen us graduate, dance at basketball games, star in a play, or win a writing contest (see what I did there?)

You wouldn't have had anyone to sing to, to shop with, to ride around with, laugh at silly jokes with, and your life would probably be filled with soap operas and trying to fit in with your old high school friends on Facebook.

But the reason why we even get to stick our feet in the sand or feel a warm summer breeze on our face is all because of you. You've given birth to six girls, which is an amazing accomplishment. You've sacrificed your body to give us all life, which is the most selfless thing you could possibly do. You took the risk of giving others life while knowing that one day, your body may never be good enough again.

I think you're a beautiful lady. After all, you can see it in each and every one of us.

But I know that you hate the way you look. And you probably blame yourself for this, but it wasn't your fault. You got cheated on. Traded for someone else. And that should have never happened to someone as wonderful and as lovely as you.

Yet, you never gave up.

You set Grandpa straight and you let him know who's boss. You dealt with things you should have never had to: seeing your husband go to a mental hospital, and years before that, waiting for the love of your life to come back from naval reserves while you had a bun in the oven.

Do you see how you're strong, Grandma? I hope you'll believe me.

You've dealt with a lot of pain to get to where you are today. You've felt the smack of your brothers when you mispronounced a word in a book as a kid. You've felt the agony of having to bury your own child. You've called others with bad news that so-and-so has passed away, and it happens so often now that you talk about it casually. You lost your mom at a young age, and you've felt the pain of watching your dad get cozy with other women while your mom worked her ass off.

After all of that, you've never given up.

You still carry on.

And that is what makes you the strongest woman I know. Do you even know how many diapers you've changed? Lessons you've taught? Ways you've inspired us to keep going, or to do what we love?

Just by being you, staying strong, and following your heart, you've made the world a much, much better place. You've created your own little army of polite and innovative human beings.

Before you can deny it, I'll admit it: not all of the days are great, but most days, you have a smile on your face. You can barely walk, but you still wake up and put on makeup and a spritz of perfume. You still call everyone and let them know who said what about who and who will be where at what time.

You're amazing, and you don't even realize how amazing you are.

If you were a book, you'd be a planner. If you were a social media, you'd be all of them, plus one we haven't even discovered yet. If you were a movie, you'd be none of them, because you've watched so many that they're all predictable to you. You'd have your own movie about your life because you've made it that good, even through the bad.

Most recently, you've had to change your relationship status to "widowed." You lost the love of your life.

Your speech is quickly deteriorating day-by-day, and yet, you haven't given up.

You inspire us all, every single day.

If there is anything I have learned in my life—and I've lived in Chicago, Los Angeles, and met so many people—it's that everyone should be more like you.

If everyone was more like you, we would be better off.

I love you Grandma. Because of you, we will always do our best and keep on going, no matter what, just like you have.

I hope you are as proud of yourself as you are proud of all of us. After all, you are the strongest woman I know. And she deserves to feel good about herself, for the rest of her life. She's earned it.

Love, your granddaughter,

Lisa