My Grandparent’s Love Story

My Grandparent’s Love Story

Laura Chrestenson

Portland State University

November 23, 2015

Abstract

Within my paper I will be discussing the love story of my grandparents and how they have affected my views on my everyday life and my aspects on how their love has impacted me. I will also address their actual stories told by them in different perspectives. I have given clear examples on how my grandparent’s lives have turned into a successful and admirable courtship story that will be passed on from generation to generation within my family. Lastly, I will address the Roles Theory and how it applies to the importance of their marriage and explain why

Courtship Story: My Grandparents, Hubert and Doris Chrestenson

My Grandparent’s Love Story

When I am reminded to count my blessings, I often am thankful for the obvious things: having a nice house, food, clothes, a car to drive, good grades, strong athletic ability, friends, and family. But recently, I have discovered something I am extremely grateful for that can often be taken for granted: my grandparents. As your grandparents’ health declines, which it will, and in the times that you find yourself becoming sad, remember to smile at the life that they have lived, long or short, the important values they have bestowed upon you, and the various memories you have created with them. Overflow them with gratitude and make sure they know how much you truly love them. Although they eventually will grow old and leave this Earth, there is one that will always stay which is their stories. One of my favorite stories is how the element of love created our family. Here is their love story.

My grandma Doris: We met at the age of three out in a little sandbox outside of the church at Sunday school, we went to the same grade school, middle school, and high school together in a small town in the state of Washington called Grandview. I was the captain of the cheer team, homecoming and prom queen, and was pretty popular with me and my girlfriends. Your grandfather was one of the only boys that drove a Model T to school and played in the band at all the school dances. You know the movie The Notebook? The beginning, I somewhat believe that movie reminds me of us. Hard of hearing, sometimes hard of remembering but the love was there. We were what you call high school sweethearts I assume. We both left for college at Washington State and got married in 1947. We didn’t have that technology or internet to keep in touch. The only time we saw each other is if we saw each other. Three years down the road we had your father in 1950, the next year, Hube left for the navy and I was scared for him but I had no doubt in my mind that we would work through it. Over the years, we moved at least twelve times before we settled down, and yeah that’s about it that’s us.

My grandpa Hube: Yeah, we grew up in the same small town yet I lived out on the farm and she lived in the city. I was farm boy with a model T and play in the high school band, she was one of those cheer girls at those football games. Her family was well known in town and mine was full of trouble and outcast. Her family was always so involved filled with big hearts and I was more on my own and did things by myself. I never thought I had a chance with Doris yet look at us now (he chuckles). When I messed up I brought home flowers, sucked up my ego and said my sorry’s, and yes we did have hardships but we always made it through. We had many transitions from college, to when I went off to the Navy, she was a Nurse assistant, I was a mathematician at Reed, she was a regular competitive Tennis player at the country club. Life got busy but that’s what kept us together, gave us time to miss each other and the drive to rush home to tell each other about our days. We were certainly different but that’s what made it interesting. 67 years later, I still find myself opening up the door for her when I don’t even think about it, and her homemade apple pies never get old, every single one tastes just as good as the last.

My grandparents have been biggest influence on me besides my parents. My grandparents were the lucky ones, almost ones you hear about in fairytales. They were both raised during the Great Depression, a time when if something was broken, you had to fix it, and couldn’t just throw it away. Throughout our life stages, we face people who impact us positively and others who impact us negatively. Some of them change our ways of thinking and modify our perspectives of life whereas others teach us life lessons through personal interactions and mistakes. It takes time to find someone to look up to and to trust but luckily I was born into a family that was supportive, trust-worthy, and concerned about my future decisions from day one. In the past twenty years, my grandparents and parents have constantly kept me on track to live everyday as if I am not promised tomorrow, to make each day better that the previous day, and to treat others the way I would want to be treated. A few months back they celebrated their 67th wedding anniversary. They have influenced me to believe that love does exist and that marriage is still a sacred event in life.

I come from a family where every holiday is spent eating around a dinner table and enjoyable memories are cherished. This old fashion concept is rare and almost a way of the past. The quote mentions the bonding of parents and their children, in simpler words it can be seen as quality over quantity. I have sometimes taken for granted that I have a family that can support me financially, emotionally and are willing to share their resources and simply love me.  I come from a small country town in the Willamette Valley, where many relationships start in grade school or at church that last through every high school dance and end up being growing old together. I grew up thinking this was a complete norm, but last year when I moved to Portland, I found I had been living in almost a fairytale protected from reality for the past 19 years.

Although in another prespective, I was not exposed to many same sex relationships, I always had the belief that love is love and that anyone should be able to whomever they chose. This is a belief that I have always supported even though I attended a private conservative Catholic high school, where every other person thought very differently each person has their own different beliefs and mentalities. My grandparents taught me that there will always be a person with a different opinion. The world is changing. Divorce, teen pregnancy, and birth control are almost a norm in American society. For example, in the past year, I have noticed individuals younger than me having children as if high school is the average age to give birth. There are many new types of families that has transformed society. Hopefully, in the future, society will see any gay marriage as any other marriage.