A to Z '14 - Unafraid

For this year's A to Z Challenge, I am honoring my grandfather who passed away on April 3, 2013.


U is for Unafraid.


My grandfather was unafraid. Never once did I ever see him exhibit fear. When my mother was 16, they had an electrical fire in the house. When my grandparents got to the house, my grandfather ran in (while the house was burning) and saved the family parrot. The firefighters told him he couldn't go in, but he did anyway.



That was him: brave, determined, and always thinking of others (seriously. How many people do you know who would risk their lives to save someone else?).


He came from nothing. A childhood in poverty, he had to be determined just to survive. He started working as a teen in order to support himself and his family. With no degree, not even a high school diploma, he could not be afraid if he wanted to get anywhere in life.



He turned down no jobs, no opportunities. Even if he was afraid because it might be something new, foreign or awkward to him, he still did what was needed. He never let fear hold him back. He never said, "I am afraid."


He was bold, and he ended up making a name for himself in the process.


He taught me the meaning of courage and determination.


Thanks to him, I face life boldly.


U is for Unafraid.

A to Z '14 - Time

For this year's A to Z Challenge, I am honoring my grandfather who passed away on April 3, 2013.


T is for Time.

My grandfather taught me a few things about time. He told me about the importance of time. How time with friends and family was far greater than time spent working. He showed me the value of an hour.



Living to 93, he also taught me that we don't have the time we think we do. He and I had always talked about me writing his memoirs. I figured I had enough time. He never got sick. If I had, I think I would have started to work on it with him. No, he fell and broke his neck. He was in the hospital for about a week. I got a call the day before he died. I was there by 7 am the next morning and stayed with him till he passed that evening. There was no preparation time. I couldn't just ask him to give me all the details he wanted in his memoirs. Even after 93 years, there wasn't enough time.




Time is a very fragile, precious gift. We never really know exactly how much time we're going to have. So value your time. Celebrate your time. Enjoy every moment in your life.

Time is important.



T is for time.

A to Z '14 - Selflessness

For this year's A to Z Challenge, I am honoring my grandfather who passed away on April 3, 2013.


S is for Selflessness.


My grandfather was a very selfless man. He always gave and did for others.


His mother was a very hard working, selfless woman. At a young age, he learned the value of selflessness and generosity.


Working his way through life, he gave back to his mother. He gave to everyone in the family. He gave to multiple charities. He gave to anyone he encountered that was in need of help.


Mind you, he was anything but a doormat. There is a huge difference between selflessness and people pleasing. He clearly set boundaries which people respected. And he gave what he could: time, money, energy, effort. He was very respected for it and very much appreciated for it.



Sadly, we live in a world where selflessness is a dying attribute. Most people nowadays only live for themselves. Is it any wonder the divorce rate is as high as it is? Can we really be surprised by the hatred and killing in our society today when we glorify selfishness in the media today?


We need to return to our humanity. To give - even just a little - in order to help someone else. It doesn't take a tremendous amount of money or some huge event to be able to change someone's life. Just do the best you can with what you have. You'll be amazed to learn that the life changed is your own.


S is for selflessness.

A to Z '14 - Role Model

For this year's A to Z Challenge, I am honoring my grandfather who passed away on April 3, 2013.


R is for Role Model.

My grandfather was the greatest role model a girl could ever ask for. I cannot think of any way in which he wasn't the perfect role model.



Wikipedia defines a role model as, "A role model is a person whose behavior, example, or success is or can be emulated by others, especially by younger people."


His behavior was impeccable. He was always giving, helping, caring, doing for others. He laughed often. He took care of his family in every way possible.


He led by example. He was generous, he was smart, he was respectful. He gave us something to emulate.


His success was like something out of a novel. Growing up in the Great Depression, he came from nothing. He started working as a teenager - he dropped out of high school to work. And he worked until he was about 80, having briefly owned companies like Poland Spring and Revlon. His life was the epitome of hard work and success.


So was my grandfather a role model? Yes! He was the perfect role model!


R is for Role Model.

A to Z '14 - Quality

For this year's A to Z Challenge, I am honoring my grandfather who passed away on April 3, 2013.


Q is for Quality.


My grandfather was a man of quality. He was a strong, positive influence. His character was one of the best. When you think of "quality people," he absolutely tops the list.



Any time with him was QUALITY time. We played games, we talked, he taught me things, we simply had great times together.




He loved the best, he lived the best, he was the best.


Q is for Quality.