There are no perfect people, but there are grandparents

EDITOR’S NOTE: LeAnn Morrissey, granddaughter of the late Luther and Lennis Stubbs of Berryville, wrote this letter to her grandparents many years ago. Luther and Lennis Stubbs owned Stubbs Grocery in Berryville, which is celebrating its 70th year in operation this year.

Grandma and Grandpa, You have had a significant impact on my life and I hope that in a small way the memories and thoughts I have written here can explain how.

Now that I am a mother, everything has more meaning and I understand even more the impact of your love. It will help form the foundation for my parenting and has helped me define some of the most important lessons I want to pass on to Keilan, such as …

GROWN MEN CAN AND DO DANCE

I always smile when I think of Grandpa dancing a jig at the store and singing “It’s hard to be humble when you’re perfect in every way.”

When I was a little girl, he was the first man I ever saw dance that wasn’t a rock star on television. It made such an impression on me that when I went to college and told my friends about my grandparents, which I always did, I would always mention how my Grandpa loved to dance. His dancing was always, and still is, a memory that makes me smile.

I will always encourage Keilan to keep dancing.

LOVE AND MARRIAGE IS REAL.

Grandma and Grandpa have always openly shown their love for each other. You can feel their love throughout the store and their home. They hold hands. They give a gentle pat or touch. They kiss. They look at each other with real love. These things do not go unnoticed by a little girl, a teenager, and now a wife and mom.

This affection for each other was something that touched me early and often. Since my Dad was not around when I was growing up, my primary knowledge about marriage was from my grandparents. Seeing their love gave me hope. It made me smile on a daily basis, and most importantly, it gave me comfort at times when I needed to know everything can be good. I know it gave Mom and the rest of our family this too.

When I married Ed, I saw some of Grandpa in him. I saw the ability to love completely. I was able to marry with a confidence in “forever” because of my grandparents and I give thanks every day for this.

I can only hope that Keilan will look for the love of his life, then grab her and never let her go.

COMPASSION, LOVE ND CARING MATTER

When Ed’s niece, Brandi, died just a few days after we married, it was an extremely difficult time for Ed. On one of our first visits home to Berryville after Brandi’s passing, Ed was alone with Grandpa for a minute and Grandpa made it a point to tell Ed “I love you” and to let him know he cared. Ed didn’t really know my Grandpa well at the time, but he knew at that minute that Grandpa meant what he said.

Grandpa’s few words helped Ed cope and have stayed with him always. This has always shown me that showing love to others can make such a huge difference in people’s lives. No one does this better than Grandpa and Grandma. They show love not just for their family, but also for their community.

I will teach Keilan to, above all else, show love to others.

SPORTS ARE NOT JUST FOR BOYS

Growing up, one of my favorite things to do was to listen to the St. Louis Cardinals or the Arkansas Razorbacks on the radio at the store or at my grandparents’ house. I was always included in all the “game talk” and analysis — even though I was a girl. My grandparents never let me know that this wasn’t just the most normal thing.

Today, I listen to ballgames in my car, no matter the team, since I can’t get the Cardinals — and it brings me home. There’s a comfort in the radio announcer’s voice now — it feels like home even when I’m far away.

People think I’m crazy when they get in the car with me and I have sports talk radio on, but it’s in me now. I can’t change, nor would I want to.

Whether it’s through sports of something else, Keilan will know that “feeling at home” can happen anywhere with great memories.

A SENSE OF HUMOR IS ESSENTIAL

I think I learned to love jokes from Grandpa, the king of telling the newest inappropriate joke out there. They say the key to joke telling is in the “timing,” but I say it’s in the pure enjoyment of telling. No matter how corny or actually funny a joke is, Grandpa loves telling them and I love hearing them.

WHAT’S IN A NAME?

Keilan’s middle name is Luke — after Grandpa. It’s a combination of Luther and Duke (Grandma’s name for him). We chose it because I felt it represented love and strength. The name has become more appropriate with every passing day.

Thank you for these lessons. I just wanted you to know.

With all my love.

tabs