Gratitude hit me extra hard today thinking about how lucky I am to call these two my Yiayia & Papou.
I never want to take a minute of this for granted - them living right next door to me all these years, the daily belly laughs, late nights, and priceless memories.
They are my best friends in the world. My neighbors. My partners in crime. My grandparents.
They are always holding hands. Always laughing. Always welcoming with open arms. Randomly breaking out into musical dance numbers mid conversation. Bickering about who left the crumb on the table or fed the dog too many treats (@papou). Letting me crash their breakfast and dinner plans and end up talking for hours.
Yiayia gets mad, but laughs, at Papou and I for constantly causing trouble and instigating each other.
They are always hugging - us, each other, even strangers. 😂
They live with love with every fiber of their being.
Children of Greek immigrants who came through Ellis Island with nothing but the clothes on their backs and $5 in their pockets and not knowing a lick of English, they grew up in one-bedroom apartments in poor Greek neighborhoods in Chicago. Their parents ran 24/7 restaurants and drove bread trucks in the early hours to provide for their family. They gave generously when they didn’t have anything of their own.
They worked hard. They were grateful for the little they had. They put faith and family first, ALWAYS.
They paved their own way and made a life for themselves.
Papou served our country. Yiayia wore the American flag with pride from home, knowing well the sacrifice that went into this great country. They met cleaning up chairs at a church dance. They fell in love. They chased each other out of the car and broke curfew often just wanting to spend a few more minutes together.
They got married and raised five children, moving every 2-3 years for Papou’s job. Together they helped bring the sport of soccer to Indiana and Yiayia paved the way for women business owners at a time when women were supposed to stay home.
Today, they pour endless love and instill virtues into all 19 of their grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
They are cheering (loudly @yiayia) in the crowd of every grandchild’s (all 19 of us) soccer game, dance recital, or performance. They don’t miss any of our milestone moments, graduations, or celebrations. They throw 21st birthday parties and celebrations for every occasion at Lou’s Pub in their basement for all our family and friends on a day’s notice. They tell countless stories gathered around the kitchen table, fill your bellies with the best Greek food you’ll ever taste, and dance around to big-band German music until 3 a.m.; outlasting all of us who are 60+ years younger.
Yiayia is the wisest, most loving, and joyful wife, mother, and grandmother. Her motto has always been: God, Country, Family; and in that order. She is currently writing a book on parenting, a book one day every parent will need on their nightstand.
Papou on the other hand is a walking encyclopedia. He could tell you on the spot what song was top of the charts on July 23rd, 1942, or recall the most obsolete detail from growing up in Chicago. Instead of “Googling” things around our house we joke and say we just ask “Lou-gle”. His stories are the BEST and leave family and friends alike completely captivated and often bent over in tears from laughing so hard.
During the spring and summer, Papou can be seen on the Kubota lawn mover once a week in my ski goggles, work gloves, and headphones from the 80s that he duct-taped together. At 91 years old, he still does it all! I will say though that no mailbox or fence post is safe when Lou is on the lawnmower.
When it comes to these two, I could go on forever. So many stories. So much laughter. So many classic memories.
If you have the blessing of knowing them or even spending five minutes with them, you know what I mean. They have truly never met a stranger and somehow make everyone they talk to feel like the most important person in the room.
You show up unannounced and they drop everything to be present to you. Yiayia usually insists on making you a meal too. Give it a few minutes and Papou will start telling stories complete with sound effects that will leave your abs hurting from laughter.
They teach me how to live and love selflessly every day by example. But their lessons are lived out, not talked about.
Their lives exemplify how Jesus calls us to live and love one another - with reckless abandon, without condition, and with our whole selves.
I couldn’t ask for better role models or greater friends than these.
I am so grateful and love you TOSSO Yiayia & Papou.