Even before I could drive, I would anxiously await every Thursday evening for my Grandma and Grandpa Aten to pick me up on their way to Tunkhannock. I didn�t even care that I had to squeeze into the back seat between two of their old friends, because I was on my way to Cross Country Restaurant for the evening special, spaghetti. As soon as we walked in, the waitress would place our order. She knew we were all getting spaghetti, and I would continue to go, as often as possible, with my grandparents every Thursday evening all through high school, into college, and even when I went home from my first couple years of teaching here in North Carolina.
My Grandpa Borove developed Alzheimer�s late in life and when it became too much for my grandma, Grandpa was placed in a Veteran�s Center in Scranton. Every single day, Grandma would get a ride to Scranton and back so she could visit with Grandpa. In the beginning, he could still carry a conversation and even laugh at times. But after awhile he became worse, and it came to the point of him just laying there in bed. He didn�t know anyone, and he couldn�t speak to anyone. But my grandma insisted that she spend every single day and every available minute at the Veteran�s Center by my grandpa�s side. She didn�t care about snow-covered roads or even ice-covered roads, she wanted a ride even if it wasn�t safe.
I couldn�t understand that logic back then when I was in college, and I tried to talk to her about how unsafe it was and how she needed to take a day or two to rest. She started crying, and that was the moment I realized just how stupid I was being. That was also the moment I started praying that I would one day find that same type of unconditional love for my future wife that my grandma had for my grandpa. The best thing was that my Grandma lived long enough to attend my wedding and to see the first days of our marriage.
God bless my Grandpa and Grandma Aten and my Grandpa and Grandma Borove for touching my life and modeling love to me in so many ways.
from Mr. Aten
He and my grandmaw played a big part in my upbringing. There are so many wonderful memories I could write about, yet I�d clearly run out of space, yet the ones that stay with me today are the ones where he�d just sit there and let me comb back his hair he didn�t have on his head, the breakfast he always would fix for me before school each morning, or for the many times he�d call the school to see if I was okay due to something he�d heard on one of several scanners throughout his home. All the little remarks like��move up to the table, you don�t have to sit in the backyard and eat.� Or, �Your grandmaw is not going to fix anything that�s going to kill you,� which was a sure sign that yes, I was going to try. I�m so thankful to have had a papaw like I did who gave me so much unselfishly and the time I was given allowing me to learn the many lessons I Have from him that I find myself often today preaching to my three boys. Thank you Papaw!
Elijah�s Mom � Lorie C.
Trent�s Mom
Audrey�s Mom � Jody W.
Jake�s Mom � Yolanda