The year 1978 not only welcomed me into this world, it was also the year Congress passed legislation proclaiming the first Sunday after Labor Day as National Grandparents Day. Some years later, I attended an elementary school that celebrated this holiday with gusto. Each class spent precious hours learning an appropriately sentimental song celebrating the virtues of grandparents. We wrapped our wrists with brightly colored construction paper so that when we performed our memorized hand motions to the songs, the audience was sure to be dazzled by the array of color. On the day of the program, parents and grandparents crowded into the antiquated New England school’s auditorium/library/cafeteria to await their grandchild’s practiced performance. In my memory, you were able to come once and I could not have been happier.

But of course you could not be there every year. When I was in third grade you left on your first mission to Yugoslavia. Let other grandmothers sit home and knit. You were off to a communist country to covertly teach the gospel. And I thought you were the coolest.

I admit sometime around the 8th grade, I completely lost track of your whereabouts. You may have been in the Bahamas, Salt Lake City, Africa, England, the South Pacific. The only people more well-traveled than you were fugitives on the run.

When I was in college (and you were on yet another mission), we managed to meet in Mexico. After I spent a semester teaching literacy in rural Puebla, you generously allowed my fellow students and me to crash at the posh church-owned guest quarters at the school where you were serving. It only took one card game for your feisty and funny nature to fully reveal itself to my friends. I’m pretty sure they wanted you for their own.

Virtually my entire life you have been serving full time missions for the Church. So maybe I didn’t get any hand knit sweaters for Christmas but I got a magnificent example of consecrating one’s time and talents to the gospel of Jesus Christ. You are a living legend. I love you and I thank you. Happy Birthday, Grandma.

Kelly