Lessons from Grandma Millie

Coates Cousins in Saginaw

On September 28th, 2017 my grandma Millie, Mildred Coates, left this earth. I had gone up a couple weeks before to visit her and glad I got to spend some time with her before the end. My older brother Miguel and I spoke at her funeral and I am combining my words, and his, into a blog about things I learned from Grandma Millie.

Power of Kindness
My grandma was kind, from inside out, kindness just came from everything she did. Many shared stories about this, but mine was from when I was a young boy. When we moved to the USA, my parents left my older brother and I with my grandparents. They went back to Bolivia to sell our belongings, and Miguel and I stayed and started school. I spoke no English, she spoke no Spanish, but her kindness made me feel loved when I came home from a long day of a new school where I understood nothing. That kindness helped me through months of being away from my parents.

Importance of Routine
Grandma and grandpa liked routines. From how early they woke up, to how they took their coffee or even how she did the dishes. Everything included routines. It made them successful, my grandma worked for a bank, and my grandpa ended up owning his own shop - Coates Tire. I remembered during that time that I lived with them that each Friday we had pizza. Another routine, something to look forward to, something to end the week positively, no mater how stressful, it ended with delicious pizza. Pizza-Pizza.

Grandpa

Value of Silence
Miguel shared how great it was to share times of complete silence with them. Time spent fishing on a boat and not saying a word. Sitting on a porch with some coffee, just looking out at the sunrise, in complete silence but the surrounding emotions took the place of noisy words. In their presence, with words or not, you felt a spirit of love and support.

Link to Obituary: Case Funeral Home

It was a powerful few days we all spent together in Saginaw. My cousins all came together, for the first time in many years, to celebrate a life well lived. We are blessed that grandma wrote a memory book in 2000 and wrote a lot about her birthplace, early life, marriage to grandpa (72 years), and much more. We mourned her loss, but we all celebrated her life.

May we all live a life like grandma, full of love, routines and needed silence. Love you Grandma Millie.