A True Valentine: Valentine’s Day has a completely different meaning in the Grant family

For Irene Grant, Valentine’s Day means a whole lot more than it does to most people. It is more than just a day full of love and getting gifts for your special someone for Irene because it just so happens to be her birthday.

On top of that, she had a grandson who was born on Valentine’s Day as well, so that makes this day even more special.

And to top it all off, Valentine just so happens to be Irene’s middle name. The stars really aligned for this woman!

The word Valentine does not just represent the holiday Irene happened to be born on or the middle name she received because of it, but it represents the embodiment of who Irene is as a whole. She is someone who is full of love and full of joy, and she is someone who is always looking out for the people she cares about.

“Mom was consistent in her expectations,” her son Ted said. “If you got caught lying, you were in for it worse. But she could laugh about it too. And while she did not always express it with constant hugs or words, Mom was very loving. I have a memory of being home sick from school, and Mom sitting with me while we watched some movie channel that always came on at noon. A decade later, I remember her telling me how she stayed up all night with our dog Dezzy while I was at college, helping see him peacefully to the other side. She has a lot of heart, and she could never have another dog after that.”

It’s these little things that make all the difference in the world, and they are the things that her kids and grandkids have always noticed.

Irene has made a huge impact on her family’s lives, and they all truly look up to her. They know that she is someone who can be counted on, and she is someone who can be trusted.

“My mom is my rock and always has been,” her daughter Rennae said. “She is the person I can always rely on to be there through the good and not so good. The strength in her, I am in awe of physically, mentally and emotionally. I strive to have the strength she has.  I confess it was not until I started raising my own family that I realized how awesome my mom was at making a house a home, dinner on the table every single night, with five kids – remarkable! ”

Irene is strong in many ways.

She is strong-willed and always willing to stand up for herself and others.

She is also a strong mother who has always done whatever she can to make sure her kids have everything they need, and are shown the love and support they deserve.

She was also strong in her marriage to Theodore, showing the strength to wait for him while he was deployed, and the love to stick by his side in marriage while having six children.  Irene raised five kids, and helped them raise her 10 grandkids, 11 great-grandkids, and another on the way.

Irene’s children learned so many things from her marriage to their father, and they learn many things from their mother each and every day.

“Mom always taught us to be honest, work hard and always do your best, even though you may not be the best,” Rennae said. “Don’t ever quit; perseverance pays off. Take time at the end of a long day to enjoy a beer.”

Focus on being yourself and spending quality time with family, whether you are playing cards or watching TV, and make your loved ones a priority. Irene would tell you to be true to yourself, as that is what she continues to do to this day.

“My mom is very honest and is quick to say things as they are,” Ted said. “She is usually smiling and generally is happy. For someone who never worked away from home, her advice about work and her general knowledge about the way the world works has always been insightful. I very seldom hear Mom say bad things about others, be prejudiced or judgmental, I guess she is a lot younger than her years in that respect.”

Ted, Rennae, and the rest of the kids, grandkids and family members are very appreciative of all Irene does for them, and they are grateful for the love and support they have always received from her.  “I remember my mom picking out the blueberries from jam so her granddaughter would eat,” Rennae said.  “Things like this always reveal how much Mom cares.”

She is a wise woman with a lot of knowledge and a whole lot of genuineness, and she is appreciated for all she does for everyone.

“We want Mom to know that she is loved, that she is respected, and that while she never ventured into the working world, her life has accomplished a lot.” – Ted on behalf of the family