***BE THE CHANGE***

Sunday, January 13, 2008

Rememberance: Lifetime of Love


















Last June my grandparents, Orville & Lydia Ringsted, celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary. This impressive accomplishment of love and devotion was recognized publicly in a full front-page spread of the Sunday edition of the Modesto Bee.


Today, Ty Phillips of the Bee, was kind enough to write a follow-up article on my grandparents in remembrance of the amazing life they were so lucky to spend together.


photo byJoan Barnett Lee
As autumn dragged on last year, "Luna-See" accepted the sad truth that her grandparents were dying. Wanting to preserve their memories and moral values while they still were alive, Courtney sat at her computer and compiled a special list of life lessons. Across the top of the page, she wrote in big, bold type: "Things we learned from our grandparents."
Then she set about building the list. The first entry stated: "Never let a day get by without giving your partner a kiss and telling them that you love them. Be sure to kiss them like you mean it."
The words came easily, as these teachings had been ingrained into her; the list grew and grew, from practical advice such as "Learn how to make stuff with your own two hands" to fun little oddities like "When you get down to the bottom of the potato chip bag, cut off the top portion of the bag."
By the time she finished, Courtney's list (in its entirety on Page I-2) contained more than two dozen entries. Indeed, Orville and Lydia Ringsted spent a lifetime teaching their offspring many valuable lessons. The thing is, we all probably could stand to learn a lesson or two from the Modesto couple.

3 comments:

  1. This was a great tribute to thier life and legacy...put the pic up of your Grandfather laughing hysterically....that is so him!

    ReplyDelete
  2. That's amazing! 70 years! They sound wonderful. I hope my husband and I can celebrate our 70th. I'd be 89 and he'll be 94then, so it's possible.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I finally found time to sit and read this and give it the attention and respect it so deserves. So beautiful and truly inspiring. Such a tribute to two beautiful souls.

    ReplyDelete

Share a thought...account not required!

*NOTE: Due to SPAM abuse I'm now moderating comments.