Very rarely did I see my grandpa wear a suit. He was a farmer. A farmer’s most important business was taking care of the land so he could take care of and provide for his family and community.
His heart and hands were big, and fingernails never manicured, just religiously scrubbed but still looking stained from working in the dirt or oiling his tractor. He had a sincere handshake, thick with calluses from plowing, sun up to sundown.
A farmer, sibling, husband, father, grandpa, and revered neighbor who welcomed you with a warm robust hug that blanketed you in blue denim. His most important cabinet wasn’t in the Oval Office. It was in a modest dining room, full of canned fruits and vegetables that my grandma had fixed to feed her soulmate, 10 children, and all the kin thereafter.
There was no such thing as her demanding a thank-you. But letting her know she served the best biscuits and country ham made her face light up like a travelling firefly as she flew through the kitchen to get you seconds.
Grandpa would go to town, not wearing a suit, just wearing the sturdy fabric that made his country great again.
Every day he tilled the land, that produced the food, that fed his family and community. Yes, that’s what he did! Helped feed his neighbors, sometimes without getting paid back, if they had a battle or hard times. Never expecting a thank-you, just the good feeling that he helped someone in need.
A Man…
Nancy Poprafsky, born in Detroit in 1954, has been a nature activist since the age of three when she rescued earthworms from drying out on the cement by transferring them to the garden. During her career years as a pre-school teacher, hospital attendant, and nanny, Nancy was dedicated to caring and nurturing with creativity for children and others in need. She believes her main purpose in life is making sure there is a safe and healthy planet for our children’s future. Today, Nancy’s passions are helping and creating with children (especially her granddaughter), animals, trees, environmental activism, and writing. She frequents city meetings, advocating preservation of nature (mature trees) and all green space.
