An Open Letter to Grandma Ruth

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Dear Grandma Ruth,

It's funny how quickly time can pass by. In 2007, I was a recent graduate teaching English in Beijing. In 2010, I am still in Beijing, though no longer a newbie. The change of seasons each year is one thing we can all count on: the fiery reds and oranges of autumn to the crisp white of winter; the fresh green of spring to the burst of summer color and back again. How can three years have already flown by? So much has happened- but so much remains the same.

I spent the latter part of 2008 and all of 2009 in the United States. I was affected by the global recession, as was the vast majority of humanity. Growing up, I worked hard for what I wanted and I usually got it. It was a tough lesson in 2009 as I struggled to find employment. Just as your generation lived through the Great Depression and became stronger for it, mine is living through the Great Recession and learning how to cope along the way. It was only a matter of time- the United States, and, indeed, the world, could not continue down the path of excessive consumerism. It was a wake-up call.

I think you would have been both amazed and proud of how people pulled together that year. The stories on the news were of individual struggles, home foreclosures, and bankruptcies, yes, but broadcasters also strived to close their news programs with messages of hope and perseverance. Just as the nation pulled together after September the 11th, the United States was bound together once again by a shared crisis. Neighbor helped neighbor. Strangers reached out to others in need. Charitable donations were tempered by worry over finances, but Americans and the world gave in other ways, donating time, services, and prayers.

As the world began the path to recovery, I moved back to China after I accepted a job with a non-profit organization in Beijing. In the four short months I have been here, I have already been able to make a life for myself. I have good friends who support me. I have wonderful coworkers who make the workday fun. I have a host family whose door is always open to me. My Chinese continues to improve; I am well on my way to becoming fluent. And I have our family back in the United States who continue to cheer me on.

You would be so proud of them, Grandma. They have never forgotten the importance of family. My parents bought a home in Arizona and will be making it their primary residence in the next couple of years. Our holiday traditions are changing and we don't see each other as much as we used to, or as much as we may like. But our ties are as strong as ever, bonds that can never be severed by distance. You taught us that family is everything. Well, we were listening. And we won't soon forget that lesson.

Although I still miss you, and always will, it has gotten easier to accept your absence from my daily life. That is because I know you are always with me, watching over me and protecting me from harm, just as you always did in life. Thank you for everything you taught me. I am a better person because of you.

I miss you and I love you so very much.

Your Merritt

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Comments

[Bigbrother]

The Revival of your first open letter to Grandma Ruth on April 26th 2008
Do not stand at my grave and weep. I am not there. I do not sleep. I am a thousand winds that blow. I amd the diamond glints on snow. I am the sunlight on ripened grain. I amd the gentle autumn rain. When you awaken in the morning's hush. I am the swift uplifting rush. Of quiet birds in circled flight. I am the soft stars that shine at niht. Do not stand at my grave and cry; I am not there. I did not die. Mary E. Frye. Certainly, Your grandma, Ruth is still your guiding star in Your Graceful Life Journey and in your heart. Your this article touched me again. You shall overcome!!!!!!!! Lee Dae Hyung in Dae-gu city, South Korea,