Grandma taught me

My Grandma was an amazing woman. I was blessed to know her for 33 of her 93 years.

Grandma and I never got the chance to talk about caring for creation. But as I reflected this summer on Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si’, on “Care for Our Common Home,” I realized she had taught me by example much of what it means to live out this document.

Grandma showed me how to live sustainably, simply and in solidarity with others, with a strong anchor on prayer.

My grandma grew up in a small Ohio farm town. The scarcity of the Great Depression forced her to learn to be content with what she had. She didn’t call it “sustainable living,” but waste was not an option. Throwing away good food or toys or clothes was never a consideration.

Wasting in the Depression meant going without. For Grandma, this meant fixing things rather than throwing them away. Her repaired toys, boxes and Christmas decorations are legendary in our family, especially those old items lovingly reconstructed with strapping tape. We can all learn from Grandma’s fix-first mentality. Every item we fix saves it from entering a landfill.

We can all learn from Grandma’s fix-first mentality. Every item we fix saves it from entering a landfill.

She and Grandpa were both college-educated, and together they rose from the poverty of their childhoods to the post-war middle-class “American Dream” — a house, kids, a car and stability. Yet their simple lifestyle, formed in the struggling farmlands of their youth, was not changed by the relative affluence they found with my grandfather’s job as school superintendent. Grandma’s simple living choices were driven by a mindset of “I know where I’ve come from, and I have what I need.”

In her later years, Grandma could have moved to a bigger house or driven a nicer car or bought fancier clothes. She chose not to, often to the frustration of my dad, who was legitimately concerned about her safety on the steps of her simple house.

For many of us, Grandma’s perspective is worth our reflection. Do we really need that new item? We can afford to buy it, but should we?

Do we really need that new item? We can afford to buy it, but should we?

Grandma was an excellent cook and baker. Her pies, cookies and ice cream roll were second to none, and her holiday meals were feasts fit for the celebration. Yet her skills in the kitchen were not limited to her family; Grandma’s desire to care for her neighbors drove her to cook and bake routinely for others. A family going through a hard time? Grandma probably dropped off something for them to eat. New baby or a funeral? She probably had a dish there, too. Cookies for a college-bound grandson? Of course.

She didn’t call this “solidarity with others” or “feeding the hungry,” but that is exactly what Grandma did, never wanting anything in return.

She ate locally because it was the right thing to do and because it tasted good. Grandma made strawberry pies with berries from her backyard patch. It was a sad day when she had to switch to commercially frozen strawberries because she and Grandpa had gotten too old to care for their plants.

Grandma cared for those around her with the food the Earth provided. When we feed the hungry in our own neighborhood and choose food from local sources, we find ourselves answering “the cry of the Earth” and living in solidarity with those around us.

The anchor of Grandma’s life was her strong faith.

The anchor of Grandma’s life was her strong faith.

She was a regular at Mass, and her house was decorated with crucifixes and statues of Mary and Jesus in a not-over-the-top-but-help-you-remember-to-pray way. As a kid staying at her house one night, I lay in bed trying to fall asleep. She sat near me, slowly rocking in her chair while clutching her rosary and quietly praying. I fell asleep; the image of her prayer sticks with me to this day.

Like my Grandma, we need to pray and rely on God. Prayer will transform us and inspire us to clean up the mess we’ve made. Prayer compels us to reduce our carbon footprints, to stop wasting food and to think about those around us. Holy Spirit, just as you taught Grandma to pray, help us to pray for one another, for your Earth and for the actions we need to take.

Prayer compels us to reduce our carbon footprints, to stop wasting food and to think about those around us.

Through Grandma’s examples of sustainability, simple living, solidarity and unshakable faith, she showed me the pieces needed to build a better world.

Thank you, Grandma.