Wise Words from Grandma Janet

Today my wonderful grandmother Janet Benson turns 84. She has seven children, two sets of twins, and dozens of grandchildren that couldn’t adore her more. She grew up on a farm in rural South Dakota in the 30s. She’s seen more in her lifetime than I could ever fathom. Her and my Grandpa Eldon planted roots in Grand Island, Nebraska and have been pillars of the community ever since.

You would think with seven children, it would be hard for anyone to maintain their sanity. However, in my 32 years knowing my Grandma Janet I’ve never seen her anger, be unkind, or show anything less than unwavering compassion and understanding for whomever she’s speaking to. Though we joke about who is the favorite child and grandchild, no matter where any of us were competing at we could plan on seeing her bright eyes and beaming smile with perfectly coordinated lipstick at our sports events, dance recitals, baptisms, graduations, etc. It would be impossible for the average human to be everywhere for everyone but somehow she did it. She was the first person to give you a hug after a bad day and always knew the right thing to say to make you feel better in every situation.

As you can imagine with a large family, the holidays and family gatherings can be a big to-do. The coordinating of seating for 30+ people, who will be at the kid’s table, who is bringing what and where and the dreaded overcoming “Benson time” which inevitably means someone will always be late… would be a lot for even a professional event planner to handle. Yet every time you walked in the door to my Grandma’s house, you saw her smiling face welcoming you with love, a warm hug, festive decorations, enough food to feed an army, and the feeling that no matter where you lived in the world… you were home.

As my Grandma continues to age gracefully and her mind and body transform during her golden years, she never forgets to let each and every one of us know that she’s proud of us and that she’s thinking about us. We have actually coined her as a professional worrier but we wouldn’t have it any other way. She’s also very proud of her perfect attendance at St.Paul’s Lutheran Church where she has been a Sunday School Teacher for decades. Her warmth and kindness is felt with everyone she interacts with.

The last time I was back home in Nebraska, I asked my grandma for a few pieces of advice. Words of wisdom from the wisest woman I know. Here are some of the short and sweet nuggets of wisdom she shared:

Best Advice for Newlyweds

No matter where you live, always make sure there’s plenty of space. Taking time and space for yourself is vital, especially when you start a family and your household grows.

Advice for New Parents

Make sure you’re eating healthy, taking care of yourself so you can best take care of others. Prioritize keeping your mind and body healthy.

Key to Happy Relationships

In a relationship one must be very thoughtful and very caring. Always try your hardest to get along and be on the same team.

The Best Advice You’ve Ever Been Given

Try to keep things calm under control. Figure out a way to enjoy the work you are doing and life you’ve been given, day in and day out.

A Message to my Kids and Grandkids

I would want them to know that I absolutely love everybody the same amount. There’s a lot of them but I have a lot of love to give!

Here’s to many more years of laughs around the kitchen table, embarrassing old stories about our parents, perfectly detailed Christmas cards covering the whereabouts of each child and grandchild and feeling the unmatched joy and love that only Grandma Janet can provide.