Today is a special day… my grandma’s birthday. I would tell you her age, but the latest update I got was that she is just 39, so we’ll stick with that! I call my grandma Omi. You’d see by her beautiful complexion that she’s got Italian blood. Or maybe it’s because she hates the cold and escapes the winters in Pennsylvania to travel the world. As for why I am guessing she is probably lying on a beach in Mexico right now. Anyway, I first want to wish my grandma a very happy birthday.
There are so many people that have greatly influenced my life over the years, and I hope some of my blog posts can illustrate just how much they mean to me. One of the very first people to shape my life was my grandma. There’s no denying that she was one of the first arms I found myself in the day I was born. I don’t remember that moment that she probably looked into my eyes with so much love. What I do remember are all the lessons that she has instilled in me since that day.
I was fortunate enough to be raised surrounded by family. At the age of five, we moved to a new house just a three-minute walk from the house my dad grew up in and where my grandparents lived until last year. For all of her grandkids, my grandma taught what she called Omi School. Before pre-school, all 11 grandchildren attended Omi school once a week, where we learned a little bit about reading, writing, singing, painting, and, most importantly, how to make MONKEY BREAD! Omi school started the foundation of a great relationship with my grandmother. Over the years, I still learn from Omi School, but in a little different way.
My grandparent’s house had the best pool that we all enjoyed on the hot summer days. I would try to go every single day I could. The summertime is when golf picked up, and I loved getting in the pool after a long hot day on the course. Not only was the pool refreshing, but hearing the advice from my grandma always helped clear my mind.
Whether I was going through a tough time or had just won a tournament, she would always remind me that, “Rome wasn’t built in a day.” I think she’s probably told me that upward of a thousand times. However, whenever I’m going through the toughest moments in my journey, I am reminded that it is a long process, and I must keep faith that I am on the right track.
Rome wasn’t built in a day, nor was my relationship with my Omi. It started the day I was born, the foundation was laid in Omi school, and between our talks at the pool and now phone call conversations, it has grown to be a beautiful relationship.
Happy Birthday, Omi!