Grandma's Helpers, LLC
Announces Closing After 19 Years
Effective December 31, 2022
Grandma "B" & Me
This is my Grandma B, Bertie Dobson, who passed away in 1996 at the age of 97.
My business Grandma's Helpers, LLC is dedicated to this beautiful soul.
"Put your love into everything you do.
It's the magic that makes all the difference."
Born on a Missouri dirt farm, Bertie Dobson, my Grandma B,
later settled in Colorado with my grandpa. She was a woman of the earth, as strong and steadfast as the Colorado Rockies, in whose shadow she lived.
Whether preparing grandpa’s freshly caught fish, crocheting that special something for a family member, or tending to gardens filled with lush strawberries, crisp rhubarb, and a myriad of flowers, she put her love into everything she did.
As a young girl I flourished under Grandma B’s guidance learning her ways around garden and kitchen. I watched as handfuls of the finest freshly plucked ingredients were carefully blended with love and talk of the ‘good old days,’ creating the recipe that fond memories are made of.
The rich warm aroma of strawberry-rhubarb pie nestled beneath gobs of homemade ice cream filled her kitchen – and filled me with a sense of wonder as I breathed it in. She loved creating for others. I loved being her helper.
I guess some of her magic rubbed off on me.
Eventually I left my grandmother to pursue a destiny in corporate America. It led me to Henrietta, New York, where I live today. But time and distance didn’t weaken the bond between us.
Twenty-five years later, I found myself walking away from a worn out career, ready to pursue a new passion born of sad events.
At 96 years old my beloved Grandma B was tucked away in a nursing home against her will. She was stripped of her pride, her independence, and her gardens. Her treasures were carelessly disposed of instead of being gifted to family members and friends who would've loved having something to remember her by. I lived too far away, unaware of what was happening to her.
Within three months, my Grandma B had passed away.
My heart was broken. I wanted to do something to honor her by putting what she taught me into practice.
I promised myself I’d use the business skills that I learned in the corporate world and the ideals instilled in me by Grandma B to make a difference. That promise lives on today as I indulge my greatest passion – growing my services to the mature adult community as a Senior Move Manager.
What Grandma B taught me about living, and what happened to her in the end shaped the way I conduct myself in the service of others today.
She taught me to appreciate the little things in life and to make them meaningful, because that’s what’s important. She taught me to create for others with respect, honesty and integrity, and to put my very best into everything I do.
Nowadays, when I’m doing a job for one of my clients, I feel my Grandma B nearby. The familiar sights, sounds and aromas reappear, transporting me back home, and I find myself in her guiding light once again.
She stands beside me as she did when teaching me to make strawberry-rhubarb pie and ice cream. “Remember to put your love into it,” she whispers. “It’s the magic that makes all the difference.”
And I always do.
Bobbie Goodridge