The Grandma Registry

My grandma reading mail. Taken a year ago during my visit to Idaho.

I talked with my grandma this afternoon.  She said she wanted to hear how we were doing and she wanted to hear my voice.  She always wants to just hear my voice.  

She told me about the snow.  The snow that has already made itself comfortable on her driveway and grass.  The snow that will stay there for a while.

Grandma has terrible arthritis.  She has had five disks removed from her back.  And there are her knees.  Her poor knees.  She can hardly walk.    Can't shovel that snow.  Can hardly carry in her groceries.

Grandma lost two of her sons in the past couple years.  The sons that lived close to her.  

Every time I talk with her she talks about how it is getting harder and harder to do anything.  and every time I talk to her I feel more and more

helpless.

It is hard to live so far away from family.  Grandma says that a few doors down is a family that has three boys.  she says that the boys will walk by the house while she is trying to get groceries in or shoveling the walk.  They don't offer to help.  She asks them to help sometimes and then gives them a Schwan's ice cream bar.  But they ask for something every time.  Breaks my heart.

I don't know if I have ever shared this on the blog but years ago I had this strong impression about charity and service and answering prayers -- and it had to do with my Grandma.   I had been praying for her after hearing her say how hard things had been for her.  A week or so later she told me that some people from the church had come and stacked up her firewood and fixed a rickety part on her back deck that she had fallen on.  

I was so grateful.  and did those people know that they had been an answer to my prayer?

Probably not.  

And then there was the time I had a bunch of pictures sent to the local Idaho Falls Walgreens for my grandma to pick up (we used to do that quite often) and she said that there was a bad snow storm and she couldn't get out.  I called the Walgreens and would you believe that one of the employees hand delivered those pictures to my grandma?  

wonderful...

It got me thinking about how we are answers to prayers.  And it got me thinking about Grandmas and Grandpas and how there are so many people out there praying for their own grandparents.  Like I had been.  And how when we help someone else's grandmother we are helping our own.  

Tonight I told David that I wish there was such a thing as a Grandma Registry.  A place where you can register your grandma and list the things she needs help with.  Those who want to do service can look at their local Grandma Registry and choose someone close to them that they can help.  I would love to find someone in our neighborhood who just needs a little help.  Groceries brought in, snow shoveled, pictures picked up, a package sent off, a prescription picked up.... 

David said to me --- "Tiffany, that is seriously a really good idea.  You should really do it." and then he paused and said "I DARE you to do it. I am serious, it is a good idea."

But really, how could it work?  Have you ever seen ads in the paper -- "Elderly woman seeks companionship and help with household chores, etc"  and then the far away family pays someone to help their grandma.  Lonely Grandma.  Maybe I should just start answering the ads and say we can do it for free.  It breaks my heart, it really does.  

The Grandma Registry would require some major screening and organization.  No one wants some creep stranger going to their grandma's house.  But it is a good idea, eh?  How do you think it could work?  Could it???  

Do you have a grandma in our area?  

Do you live in Idaho Falls?  Or know anyone who does?  Want to help my grandma? 

She is a sweet lady with Schwan's ice cream bars,  nice country music and a few cats.  

and she makes a killer meatloaf.  

Just me thinking again....