A tribute to my Grammie Nov. 23, 1942 – Jan. 15, 2024
Two weekends ago, I walked into my grandparents’ Florida home to help my Dad collect old files, family photos, and catalog my Grammie’s paintings. Nothing hits harder than walking into a loved one’s home and feeling their presence missing. But grief and loss allowed me the opportunity to step back and reflect on old memories.
With my Grandmother’s memorial tomorrow, I couldn’t think of a better way to honor her memory than to share some stories and lessons from her life.
A little background:
My Grammie never fit the conventional mold. She made a damn good brisket, sure. But dessert? Store-bought. And the broccoli? Always a little overcooked. She was an artist and entrepreneur. And her real talents lay in people and the arts.
At barely 20 years old, she and my grandfather ran off to Detroit to elope (again, not one for tradition or following the status quo.)
Together, in 1968, my grandparents started a staffing company. They ran it side by side for more than 30 years.
That company laid the groundwork for my parents’ business, Haley Marketing–a marketing company specializing in the staffing industry. And as our Creative Director, I owe part of my path to her.
Lesson 1: Make Others Feel Seen
This lesson isn’t original. I borrowed it from my Dad’s newsletter about his mom—my Grammie—featured in Haley Marketing’s SMART Ideas Weekly.
If you know anything about staffing, you’ll know it’s all about people.
My Grammie loved people. Her curiosity would ask question after question to get to someone’s core. I remember bringing friends by; they couldn’t escape without a gentle interrogation. But they loved it, and they loved her.
My Dad put it best:
“Looking back, my mom was successful because she had an incredible ability to make people feel special. And I never realized until quite recently that what she did was so simple.
She listened. She asked questions. She used her skills as an interviewer to make every person she spoke with the center of her attention.
She always made others her priority. And even over the last couple of years, when she was battling cancer and dementia, she never lost her ability to prioritize the people around her.
She never complained about how she felt…even when asked.
She never stopped interviewing people. In fact, she was so good at it that most people didn’t know she was ill.”
There’s power in asking questions and taking an interest in others. It makes others feel seen. Feel heard.
So ask questions. Be genuinely curious about others. Listen. And leave a positive impact on everyone who crosses your path.
Lesson 2: Share Your Creative Voice
To my Dad, my grandparents were entrepreneurs. To me, my Grammie was an artist at heart. Her easel a staple in my Grandparent’s homes. Always adorned with her latest painting in progress. Even now in a corner of that Florida home, there’s a piece sitting on the edge of that easel–forever unfinished.
Art, for my grandmother, was more than a hobby—it was her voice. Her way of experiencing and sharing the world. She loved wandering through art museums and filling new canvases with life. She transformed family celebrations and friends’ milestones into lasting memories through her paintings.
Back in high school, my Grammie would come pick me up once a week–usually arriving as I scarfed down my dinner. And we would drive out to our weekly art class. We’d park, grab our big tackle boxes of paint, and head into the studio. Our instructor, Sean, would give us pointers on light, composition, and color as we created.
These moments were more than lessons in art; they were lessons in life. Through her unwavering dedication to her craft, my Grammie illustrated that art, creativity, is not just a pursuit but a way to show you care. It’s a way to share your voice with those around you. And spread a little love and joy too.
Lesson 3: Don’t Defer Your Dreams
As a lover of art, my grandmother dreamed of traveling to Europe to wander the streets and museums of Paris, Madrid, Barcelona–to see the works of the greatest painters and artists throughout history. But unfortunately, that’s a dream left unchased.
It breaks my heart that my Dad and I were never able to take her on a trip to Europe. I would love to share my love of travel with her dream to travel. To share our love of art abroad. She would have been in heaven wandering the halls of the Louvre. And I would’ve loved to be there with her.
Her unfulfilled dream serves a powerful reminder that dreams deferred might never find their light. Don’t wait to chase your dreams.
In Memory of My Grammie
Even though she never gazed upon the masterpieces of Europe, my grandmother lived a masterful life. She left behind a world of beauty and love in her paintings and through all the people she touched.
I hope these stories serve not as a point of sadness but as a reminder to share beauty, joy, and love with the world. To chase your dreams.
In memory of my Grammie. I love you, and I miss you, always.
Have a great week!
Becca
P.S. Even if you’re not in marketing or staffing, I’d encourage you to read my Dad’s full newsletter: SMART IDEA #16: Priorities and overcoming grief.
P.P.S. You might notice this note looks a little different. I’m changing up my structure and cadence to make this newsletter better for you. Stay tuned, in two weeks, I’ll share more about other changes and ideas I’m working on.
Grammie and her Paintings
Images left to right. Top: 1- Grammie painting at her easel. 2- Painting of an apostle, hanging in my parents’ dining room. 3- Photo of my Grandparents at the beach. Middle: Drawing, I believe, from her days at art school. 5- Grammie again at her easel. 6- Painting of a man, hanging in her Florida home. Bottom: 7- Grammie painting a film strip of Disney characters. This mural lined the bedroom my brother and I shared as kids. 8- Jungle mural from our nursery. 9- My Grammie’s painting of a photo I took at Colorado National Monument.
