My Two Grandmothers

I had two grandmas, and they could not have been more different.

One was loud and hilarious, Chicago through and through. She also told the best, funniest stories. (Once, while trying to serve a fancy dessert at a dinner party, she ended up spraying whipped cream across the table and all over her guests. Another time, she accidentally drove straight through the garage wall while trying to park, landing her car right in the swimming pool!)

My other grandma grew up in Indiana, the daughter of a state senator. Elegant, composed, worldly, and driven, she founded a think tank in Washington and was the first woman to lead several national organizations. She also opened up the world to me, taking me on my first trip to Israel. Seeing it through her eyes changed my life forever.

My grandmas were two completely different women, each with a different way of moving through the world, and I was lucky enough to learn from them both.

But here is what I never did: I never sat either of them down to capture their stories in their own words while they were still here to tell them.

They are both gone now. I have plenty of memories, but what I don't have are their voices, their stories, and their laughter (whipped cream mishaps and all) preserved in a book my kids can read and pass down.

I can't go back and interview my grandmas, but helping other families preserve their grandmas' stories is the next best thing.

If your family has a grandma (or two) like mine, I'd love to hear about them.