Everyone has different definitions of peace. For some, it is born out of moments spent exercising or in nature; for others, it is the nights spent with friends or alone watching TV.

But for me, peace can always be found waking up in my grandparents’ house.

Sunlight streams through the windows of the living room of their Grand Prairie home. I can hear the wind chimes outside, along with my Papa’s identifying footsteps and quiet whistle. My Mimi is still asleep, and once she awakes, the quiet of the morning will be broken, but the constant beat of love I feel here continues to drown out any worries from the outside world.

For as long as I can remember, my grandparents have been a staple of my daily life. Having lived with them for the majority of my early childhood,​​ I became extremely close with them, as I still am today. Our connection is one built off a love for music, fun and stories. I love learning about what my mom and uncle were like growing up or about my grandparents’ childhoods here in Texas during the 1960s and 1970s.

The two met as teenagers in Oak Cliff, a neighborhood in Dallas. My grandpa was a quiet, working musician, while my grandma was a “never-not-dancing” girl full of laughter and light. While they now live in Grand Prairie and are very different from who they once were, my Papa still loves to play music, and does so whenever he can, and my Mimi will dance anywhere, anytime, with anyone who is willing to.

Having now spent most of their lives together, they have been through their fair share of challenges. From my Papa being drafted to Korea, overcoming childhood traumas together, to being young parents, they have remained dedicated to each other for more than 50 years. Their ability to love each other through it all and deal with life’s struggles, is something I deeply admire.

Their influence is indescribable and shines through all areas of my life. My fascination with music, my love of being barefoot, the way I like my breakfast and even my name – a shortened version of my grandma’s, Marline.

I know for as long as I live, the time I’ve gotten to spend with my grandparents, the absolute pillars they’ve been for me and my family, is something I will forever be grateful for.

I don’t know if I’ll ever truly understand the difficulties they faced in their lives to become the wonderful grandparents they are today, but I do know this:

To always expect to hear my grandfather’s guitar when I walk in their home, that strawberries never taste as good as when they are cut by grandmother’s hands and to love deeply and honestly, whenever I can.

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