Little Fish: February 2012

It feels so good, to have your blood in my veins.

The song "The Way I Was Made" by Griffin House never fails to fill me with pride about my family every time I hear it. From the resilient Ukrainian farmers on my dad's side to the brave, and often stubborn, European immigrants on my mom's side, the stories of my heritage remind me where I came from and who I am. Anyone who really knows me will know that I AM my family, for better or for worse. My passion, my drive, my stubbornness, and my temper can all be traced generations back in time. Eventually I am going to write a post about the stories of my mom's family, and the generation that brought that side of my family to Canada, but for now I'd like to talk about my dad's family.

My dad's parents, my Baba and Gido, were both a perfect match and polar opposites. My Gido was determined, strong-willed, and obstinate, while my Baba was peaceful, peace-loving, and compassionate. I am incredibly proud of both of their characters. I'm also proud to say that I inherited many of my Gido's personality traits (again: for better or for worse).

Unfortunately, they both passed away (my Gido in August 2009 and my Baba on New Year's Day, 2011), but the legacies they both left on our family is everlasting.

For someone who has always been far closer to my Gido than my Baba in personality traits, it was both surprising and comforting, not to mention a source of pride, to hear the comparisons made between myself and her at her funeral.

Also unfortunate is the fact that I was able to learn so much more about what made my Baba so incredible at her funeral, and I thought it a shame for me to learn it upon her passing. One phrase that kept being mentioned was that my Baba was a "prayer warrior"; she was a woman who the people in her town would call upon in the direst of situations, and her and her prayer group saw many miracles. She was a faithful servant of God, and I can't remember a time that we entered their home without seeing her flipping through the pages of her well-worn Bible.

My Baba prayed for me everyday, she would always tell me on the phone. It was also such a comfort to me, and I always thought if God hears anyone's prayers, he hears my Baba's.

For my family of four specifically, my Baba's legacy is one of a faithful servant and a woman who truly knew how to love everyone, including her enemies. As a result, we've been trying to follow her example. I am my Gido through and through, and so learning to forgive, and to step down or back (even when I am right) to show compassion and mercy is something I am working on. Don't misunderstand, I am so proud of my Gido's personality, he didn't put up with anything from anyone, stood up for himself and his family, and was also an incredible man of God, but I know that it's important to strive to be both strong-willed and loving, determined and forgiving.

It was incredibly hard for my entire family to lose them, but I know that my Gido and my Baba, more than anyone I know, looked forward to the day when they met their saviour.

Also, both were so generous, and always gave all that they could to serve God, as well as to take care of their family. I remember something my dad said at their 50th wedding anniversary (that I saw on tape, I was only a baby!). The MC of the anniversary had been going on and on about how little my Baba and Gido had, and it had frustrated my dad that he was focusing on what little in life they had instead of celebrating them. So when my dad got up to make a speech, he said, "My parents may have not had much while I was growing up, but I never would have known it." Needless to say, I have incredible pride for my family, and I strive to become even a quarter of the person that my Gido and Baba were.