99 Great Years

Think about your life. Go back 15 years. 25 years. 65 years if you can. Now imagine if you could go back 95 years and reflect on how things were. To be able to compare, first hand, how things were then to how they are now and see the changes that have occured.

Right now, as I write this blog, much of my family on my dad's side is gathering in Ponca, NE to celebrate Wesley Schram's 99th birthday. My grandpa. I literally can not get over how amazing that is. Thinking over my 23 years of life on this earth, I can not imagine the sensational feeling of doing the same over nearly a century.

Talking about my grandpa impresses me every time. At the age of 99, he still lives in his own home with his wife of 70 years. (Another impressive number!) Every summer he plants a very sizable garden and tends to it with care. He is the father of 11, grandfather of 30, and great-grandfather of 30+. He is also on to of his game. Recently, when I was back visiting, he turned to me and asked when I was moving to New Orleans. This took be back because not only am I 1 in a family of nearly 100, but I've also been moving around so much in the last year that most the people I know gave up keeping track.

One of my favorite memories with my grandpa was Memorial Day close to three years ago. I spent the day driving around with my grandpa, grandma, uncle, and two cousins paying respects to our ancestors. In between cemeteries, we drove by all the places my grandparents had lived while married, saw where the one room school house my grandpa had gone to school used to be located, and shown where my dad was born. We also heard stories about my great-great-great uncle who disappeared in California during the gold rush, how my grandparents met, stories of my grandpa's mischievous side as a kid, etc. It was fun learning about our family's history and getting a glimpse into my grandpa's 99 years.

I feel lucky to have the family I have and even more lucky to still have them in my life.

So here's to family, good genes, and the spirit of life my grandpa has always possessed. Happy Birthday!