A blessing for grandparents in the family business
Deuteronomy 4:9
My grandparents, on both sides of my family, had a significant influence on my life. One set of grandparents fostered my interest in agriculture, and, through our family’s struggles and challenges, inspired my current work helping closely-held businesses with succession and transition. The other set of grandparents offered wonderful examples of serving and loving others, dealing with disappointment and change, and glorifying God. (I wrote about my grandfather, Roger Hamilton, shortly after his passing.)
As a privileged observer and helper of family businesses around the country, I can attest to the profound effect of grandparents. Their experience, wisdom, connection to tradition and history, and even their mistakes, are instructive for future and active members of the family business.
What impact did your grandparents have on you and your family business? (To listen to the blessing below, click here.)
When we awoke to the world, you were already wise A living history, connecting our family through generations Harkening back to those who inspired the work we do today. As we learn about life, you keep our traditions Offering rituals that shape our identities and form our character Fueling our interests and passions from the earliest of ages. As we make our way in the world you are deep wells of wisdom Guiding our decisions with valuable lessons learned in hard times – harder than we can imagine Encouraging us, or gently admonishing us, by keeping visible what we cannot always see. As we hunger for belonging you refract the light of love Offering gifts of patience and presence that elude us as parents or siblings Demonstrating the potentiality of that long obedience in the same direction. When you are gone from this life we wish we would have known you better To have captured more stories of experience, to have learned more from your mistakes But we are grateful for the time we had, and as we celebrate your life and role in our family business, we give thanks: Thanks for the continuity you represent in our lives and in our work, and for the influence you bring to bear on who we are. Thanks for the values you esteem and practice in our presence, and for your reminders about that which is important, especially when we are confused by the urgent. Thanks for the chapters you’ve written in the story of our family business, and may God bless your legacy in the future of our community and family.
“Only take care, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things that your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. Make them known to your children and your children's children.” (Deuteronomy 4:9)
Prior blessings: For those experiencing family estrangement, for your estate planning efforts, for a family business gathering, upon the passing of a family business member, for rest, for the next generation’s return, for the senior generation letting go, and for the new year.