Alan and Shelley Johnson

Alan and Shelley Johnson

Alan and Shelley Johnson

      When I think of stories about Grandma, I go back to the time I was in high school and Grandma got this new computer from Hollie. She was pretty excited to learn about it, but needed someone to show her the ropes. Being a somewhat tech savvy high school kid who thought he knew everything, I hung out at grandmas on various nights to show her how to send e-mail or burn a cd. (I am sure that uncle Gary wishes I had left out that whole learning how to e-mail part) Most of the time, my teaching visits turned into Grandma’s story telling time. I heard stories about grandpa, the farm, my dad, and so many others. One funny story she liked to tell was the time my dad and Rod were working in the back chopping wood. Somehow Dad got hit in the head with the ax and was bleeding pretty bad. Rod, knowing the firestorm that was coming, attempted to conceal this small little accident by placing dads ball cap in a way to hide the gash. Grandma was not fooled of course and Dad was quickly off to the hospital. Taking time to laugh about the past was special to me.

      One of my more favorite experiences to tell about grandma came following her quadruple bypass surgery. We tried to make sure that someone always stayed the night with grandma in case anything went wrong. When it became my turn to stay the night with grandma; Hollie was asked to stay as well. A clot formed in Grandma’s leg in the latter part of the evening. It was not overly troubling to her, so we decided to go to bed and she would see her doctors in the morning. The morning came and I awoke to an empty house – no grandma and no Hollie. It turned out that during the night the clot became increasingly painful and it was decided that she would need to go the hospital. Hollie called 911 as well as my Dad and probably a few others; everyone came including several police cars, a fire truck, and an ambulance. I managed to stay asleep in the front room through all off the commotion despite the number of people going in and out. My parents say that they decided to let me sleep because they did not want to wake me. Personally I think that they forgot I was there on the couch under some covers and were surprised when I called in the morning. If it had been left to me, we may not have been able to enjoy grandma for all of these years. Thanks to Hollie – grandma made it through.
      Growing up, grandma’s house was almost like a big kids play ground. We got to drive tractors, ride the lawn mower, shoot pellet guns in the back, and play in the barn. Even though that last activity may have gotten us in a little trouble here and there, we all made it out with our limbs attached. The best part of grandma’s was being able to horse around with those friends Heavenly Father chose for us to be with. Throughout life, friends will come and go except for a small group that we share an eternal bond with, our family. Sunday dinners, watching sports, and visiting with one another are cherished memories of mine. Thanks to grandma for always striving to bring the family together no matter what the conflict or circumstance.