How Forty-Five Minutes can Change Your Life by Leah

How Forty-Five Minutes can Change Your Life by Leah - March 2017 Scholarship Essay

Every Monday I look forward to the forty-five minutes between 5:45 and 6:30. It’s dinnertime for lots of people, myself included, but for me, dinner on Mondays is more than just a plate of food. On Mondays I eat dinner with my grandparents before I go to my cello lesson down the road. Although the lure of my grandma’s delicious cooking is definitely an incentive, the time that I am able to spend with my grandparents is one of the most valuable investments of time that I have ever made.

My grandparents are both ninety years old. Both are in reasonably good health for their age, although I have noticed their motivation and capability to perform household tasks deteriorate over the years. With my grandparents’ aging came a decrease in social interactions. Although Grandpa still faithfully goes to Mass whenever he feels well enough, he stopped going golfing and bowling with his friends a few years ago. Although Grandma still sings in the choir every Sunday, a bad car accident diminished her level of comfort driving around town to visit friends. They get lonely, and although they have each other, it’s just not the same as it used to be.

As I was driving to my cello lesson one evening, I thought to myself, “I wish that I could see Grandma and Grandpa more often.” I had just come from a run after school, a hasty shower, and a quick dinner that my mom had thrown in front of me. Then I had, as they say, a “lightbulb.” I passed my grandparent’s house and thought, “They eat dinner! Why don’t I eat dinner over at their house on Mondays! It’s right down the street from my cello lesson, and it would be a great way to spend some time with Grandma and Grandpa.” So the next week I called Grandma and Grandpa and asked them if I could come over for dinner on Monday. They agreed, and so I arrived at 5:45 that Monday, hungry and, for some reason, a little apprehensive. I had been to dinner and Grandma and Grandpa’s before; Saturday pizza night, after all, was a treasured tradition that my family joined in every once and awhile. However, I did not often go over by myself, and I was not quite sure what to expect.

Grandma had made a delicious meal: spaghetti, my favorite, with breadsticks and about four more vegetables than my own mother put out at dinnertime. We said the meal prayer (Bless us oh Lord), and then they added, “May-the-souls-of-the-faithful-departed-through-the-mercy-of- God-rest-in-peace-Amen” and “Praise-be-Jesus-Christ-forever-Amen” which threw me off a little. But we settled into the meal, talking and enjoying each other's’ company before long. It was 6:30 (time to go to my cello lesson) before I knew it, and it was hard to leave. As they gave me their usual farewell of “Come again!” I knew that I would. And so it became a tradition. Every Monday, before my cello lesson, I ate dinner with Grandma and Grandpa. We talked and shared stories, never having quite enough precious time together.

If I could give one message to the students at my school and students everywhere, it would be about the importance of spending time with family. I know that I am not the only student who feels like they constantly have somewhere to go or something to do, and it’s hard to find time to cherish those special moments with our families, especially the members who may not be with us for much longer. However, I can confidently say that my choice to make spending time with my grandparents a habit is one of the most valuable decisions I have ever made. I have learned so much from Grandma and Grandpa about our faith, our history, and our world and how to be a good citizen of it. I know that I could just as easily spend that forty-five minutes squeezing in that bit of homework, or going to bed a few minutes earlier. But that forty-five minutes, to me, isn’t just dinnertime. It’s a time to learn, a time to laugh, and a time to love.