I am so lucky that I have such a close bond and relationship with my grandparents. They have always been such a big part of my life. My grandma has been through so much throughout her years and as she turns 80 next month, I found myself asking her about her experiences, regrets, and advice. As she reflects on her past 80 years of life, I wanted to ask her what advice she would give me being newly in my 20s as I navigate life.
N: What would you say your biggest accomplishment in your 80 years of life has been?
G: “The first thing I would say is having 4 children. I am very lucky that I have them to help me with so much now and raising them was such a great experience. Also I would say having a successful business throughout my life with my husband. We owned a restaurant for many years and were able to start a business for ourselves from the ground up. Another accomplishment that I can think of is being a religious ed teacher for 32 years! That was something that I was very passionate about and involved in. I also got to ski and travel to a lot of places with my husband and kids which is great. And of course I would have to say being a grandmother of 10!”
N: If you could tell your 20 year old self something, what would you say?
G: “My first husband died in the Vietnam War when I was very young and we had only been married for a short amount of time so I would probably tell myself to appreciate him more because I don’t know what would happen later in life. I would also tell myself that although there are some unexpected and bad things that happen in life, there is always more good to outweigh it!”
N: What is something you regret not doing when you were younger/in your 20s?
G: “I regret not writing more things down or keeping a diary. I have a hard time remembering a lot of details from when I was growing up, especially when my grandchildren and children ask me about things. I wish I had kept a notebook by my bed and wrote down a few things each night even if it wasn’t long. I always tell my grandchildren to do that so that they will be able to have those memories when they are older and forget!”
N: If you could go back to being 20 years old for a day, what would you do?
G: “I would probably spend the day with my first husband. I would want to see him again and go to our favorite restaurants or visit our old college town!”
N: What is your biggest piece of advice for someone who is in their 20s right now?
G: “It sounds very cliche, but follow the dreams that you have even if they seem very unreachable. Growing up, I wanted to be a model and go to modeling school and I eventually pursued those dreams and went to modeling school which was one of the best experiences in my life! Some dreams may seem hard to achieve but if you really want it, do it while you’re young and you can. Also I would say to stay grounded in yourself and your values. People may try to change you or your opinions and beliefs but you know who you are at the end of the day and you have to stay true to yourself.”