Written By Anna Taylor

there are people in each of our lives that have influenced who we are today.Our family, friends, teachers, neighbors — even characters in books and movies — have all helped to mold and shape who we are as individuals. We become hybrids of their different values and personalities, affecting how we think, how we act, and how we live. For some, these influences have always been apparent and obvious; for others, they go unnoticed or unrecognized. For me, it took time.

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LESSONSFROM

My grandfather never had anything

handed to him. Born to a working

family on a farm in rural Nova Sco-

tia, there were many obstacles to overcome. While there

was always food on the table, there wasn’t an abundance

of anything. Everything they had was earned through

hard work and dedication. If you had told him then he

would one day be named a Supreme Court Justice, I’m

not sure he would have believed you.

My grandfather’s education began in a one-room school-

house down the road from his home. While he was not

always the most disciplined student, over time he de-

veloped a fierce desire for knowledge. At this school, he

was inspired by what he learned about the world. It was

also here that he met a girl – a girl I would one day

call my grandmother. My grandfather began dreaming

about his future, and what possibilities lay before him.

When he had completed his coursework, he finished at

that rural schoolhouse. However, he decided he wasn’t

finished; his educational journey was just beginning.

My grandfather then attended Acadia University, lo-

cated about seventy miles from his home – a notable

distance for the time. There he studied many different

subjects and became increasingly inspired and motivat-

ed. Upon his graduation from Acadia, he still wasn’t sat-

isfied. He was determined to learn more. He enrolled at

Dalhousie University and began studying law. He had

found his calling. He completed the program in 1953,

returned home, and married my grandmother in 1955.

It was there, in the small rural town of New Germany,

that he opened his own local practice. He eventually

joined the Provincial Court as a judge at the age of

thirty-three. After thirty more years of service, he was

honored with the position of Justice on the Supreme

Court. When he retired from work in 2005 he had been

serving for forty-two years – the current record for lon-

gest time served.

Due to my grandfather’s hard work and complete dedi-

cation, he was able to make his dreams come true. Not

only was he able to provide for his family, but he also

like many children, i grew up hearing the numerous stories of my grandfather. And, like many children, I was not always the keenest of audiences. To me it seemed he could find a lesson in every situation or activity. As a child, I summarized most of it into one word: boring. Rolling my eyes and fidgeting in my seat, I would listen to a seemingly endless supply of anecdotes and life lessons. I dreaded these lectures that required me to be so still and attentive. Needless to say, I was not a patient child. However, years have passed since those days and I now find myself looking at these stories with a new perspective. What used to bore me now inspires me; what I once considered to be a nuisance or a chore I now see as one of the greatest gifts of all.

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LESSONS FROM GRANDDAD

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1 Granddad as a young boy.2 My grandparent’s wedding day.3 The first family portrait.4 Granddad, Grade 11.5 Granddad on the Nova Scotia Supreme Court.

opened countless doors of opportunity.

He was able to travel across the country

as well as the world, to see the places he

had previously only read and dreamt about.

My grandfather’s story never ceases to amaze

me. Born on a rural farm during the Great

Depression, the odds were never in his fa-

vor. How unlikely it was that a small-town

farm-boy would eventually see the other coast of his

country, let alone the other side of the world. He

never let those obstacles get in his way; he never let

anyone tell him it couldn’t be done. When I was

young I couldn’t grasp the significance of what he

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had accomplished. As I have grown and now begin my

own journey, I can understand the towering magnitude

of those obstacles. I have been taught many different

things about life over the years, and these lessons have

come from countless different people. However, I’m not

sure I could point out anyone who has taught me more

than him.

One of the most important lessons my

grandfather ever taught me was to value

my education. He has shown me the

countless possibilities that can come from learning all

you can. While my grandfather wasn’t always the most

dedicated of students, he eventually learned the value

of a good education. He once wrote to me with me this

story, of a teacher who inspired him to think differently.

In school Anna, I was a great dreamer. The teacher

taught us geography where she told us about Balbo

travelling across the American nation to the blue Pa-

cific, where he threw a rock out into the water. That

startled my interest. I thought how great it would

be to throw a rock and watch it splash in the blue

water. She also read about the Great Wall of China.

What a feat I thought it would be to walk there. She

also read about the city of Hangzhou, which Marco

Polo said was the most beautiful city in the whole

world. I never forgot that.

In 1984, when I was now about 40, I had the chance

to go to China. Before I left I went down to Cherry

Hill and picked up a rock. I carried it all the way to

the West Coast. On the ferry to Victoria I dropped

my rock in the blue Pacific and watched it splash.

I next walked on the Great Wall of China. Later,

while in Hangzhou, I climbed up on the roof and

looked out over that beautiful City of Lakes. She

was a great teacher.

In the letter, my grandfather apologized if I found his

story boring. At one time that might have been true,

except this time I felt the exact opposite. It is one of

my most treasured stories he has ever shared with me,

and I have read it over countless times. That story has

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LESSONS FROM GRANDDAD

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1 Myself as a child, waiting for my turn to graduate.2 My grandfather upon his law school graduation.3 One of countless handwritten letters, received from my granddad.4 Three generations, celebrating my cousin’s law school graduation.5 A proud grad, celebrating my accomplishment.

places he’s seen. Like my grandfather, I didn’t always

take my studies so seriously. However, as I have grown

and learned from him, I now know that it is one of the

most important things I will ever gain.

Through the years, my grandfather has also

shown me the real value of hard work.

Growing up on a farm, he knows the true

meaning of this. It was not an easy life. If the chores

weren’t done, the animals not fed or their crops not

tended to, they wouldn’t have had the things they need-

ed. He learned from a young age that hard work wasn’t

an option; it was a way of life.

I will never forget the summer my grandfather taught

me to waterski. I was young, maybe eight or nine, yet I

was determined to learn the sport the rest of my family

so enjoyed. So, one day, my grandfather took down the

skis and we headed out into the lake. I got the skis on

my feet, the tow-bar in my hands – I was ready to go.

inspired me, and reminded me of the teachers that

made an impact on my life.

My grandfather reminds me of what a strong education

can do for you. He has shown me that it is important to

be knowledgeable of the wonderful world that we live

in. It was my grandfather’s pursuit of education that

allowed him to do the things he’s done, and to see the

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1–2 Waterskiing, now and then. 3 Granddad, hard at work shearing Christmas trees. 4 Granddad and son, cultivating the island.

My grandfather gave me the signal, and started off in

the boat. The rope tensed, I began to stand, wobble and

fall. We repeated this several times, slowly making our

way down the lake. This was harder than I’d imagined.

After several attempts, I was done. I had water in my

eyes, in my ears, and up my nose. I hurt from falling. I

was ready to quit.

I pleaded with my grandfather to haul me into the boat.

“Take me home!” I demanded. He wasn’t having it. He

said that I wanted to ski, and if I gave up I would never

be able to say I did. I didn’t care; I had had enough. I

continued to pout, bobbing up and down in the water

in my bright orange life jacket, hot tears coming down

my face. What a sight I must have been. After several

minutes of this, he asked if I was ready to try again. I re-

luctantly agreed, thinking in my head how unfair, how

downright awful, it was that he was making me do this.

Despite my objections, I took the tow-bar back into my

hands, and readied myself for another failure. He gave

me the signal, and took off in the boat once more. As

the rope tightened, and I began to stand, I braced my-

self for the fall. But then, something amazing happened.

Not only did I stand up, but I stayed standing. I looked

around wildly with astonishment. I skied behind the

boat, all the way around the island, and back to the

cabin. It was my first successful ski, and I was on top of

the world. I know now, that if my grandfather had let

me quit, I never would have experienced that feeling.

But he didn’t let me give up; he knew that I could do it.

I’m not sure I’ve ever thanked him for that.

My grandfather has shown me that anything is possible,

with enough work and determination. He has taught

me to set goals, no matter how high, and to never give

up until I achieve them. This is how he has lived his life.

While the road was not always easy, and the end not

always in sight, he had faith that he would someday see

I always put life like climbing a mountain... the view from the top is grand and the air, though thin, is fresh with only so few making it.

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1–2 Waterskiing, now and then. 3 Granddad, hard at work shearing Christmas trees. 4 Granddad and son, cultivating the island.

5–7 Even in retirement, there is always work to be done, improving and maintaining the land.

the benefits. Once, in a letter, he described to me the

value that comes from this dedication.

Your job should be a pleasure. I never went to work

wishing I could stay home. Mind you, there were

some hard decisions and some trying and tough

times, but oh when you conquered them, the plea-

sure it gave. I always put life like climbing a moun-

tain, and when I got to the minor peaks it was great

to look out over. I’m still working on the higher

peaks with the better view. Have a great year. The

view from the top is grand and the air, though thin,

is fresh with only so few making it. Enjoy the view.

How true, I thought, is this statement. Though my

life has been short, I have seen my share of obstacles.

Through these stories and lessons of my grandfather,

I’ve learned to never let these hurdles stand in my way.

Instead of getting discouraged, I’ve found a way to find

inspiration and motivation from these complications.

Instead of giving up, I’ve worked harder to make my

dreams a reality. By doing this I’ve found him to be so

incredibly right; there is no better feeling than accom-

plishing your goals. He has taught me that if you want

something bad enough, and are willing to work hard

enough, you can make anything possible.

A nother lesson I have learned from my grand-

father, is waste not want not. It may seem

cliché, but it is a truth he has lived his entire

life. Growing up during the Great Depression, he never

lived a life of excess. Although times have changed, he

has continued to live his life under this philosophy.

I don’t believe my grandfather has ever wasted a single

thing in his life. He takes pride in caring for his pos-

sessions, and never spends his hard-earned money in

a loose or frivolous fashion. He and my grandmother

still live in the humble home they purchased when they

married almost sixty years ago. Although their finan-

cial situation probably would have allowed a larger, and

flashier home, there was never a need for it. My grand-

father still uses the original Land Rover he purchased

decades ago for working his land, and towing the boats.

I learned to ski behind the same boat, on the same skis,

that my mother and her siblings did. Although newer,

LESSONS FROM GRANDDAD

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more modern models of all these things have become

available, he never saw the need to upgrade.

He believes that if something breaks, fix it. If it cannot

be repaired, only then do you look into purchasing

something new. He has shown me that if you take care

of your possessions, they have the potential to last a

lifetime. He has also shown me that earning money

takes time and hard work, so you need to be careful in

the way you choose to spend it.

As a child, I was always made to clean up my toys and

make sure they were stored properly. He would tell me

that unless I did so, they would not be there the next

time I wanted them. Although it seemed silly, and a

nuisance at the time, I now see the importance of that

lesson. I’ve learned that if you buy only the things you

need, and take care of the things you buy, you will never

be without something you need. I believe this is an ex-

tremely important value.

We currently live in a disposable culture; a culture

where the most important thing is having the newest

technology, and following the latest trends. Although

this lifestyle is tempting, I do my best to resist. This

Of all the stories I’ve heard from my grandfather, my personal favorite has always been the year the

rabbits took over. Decades ago when my grandfather purchased the island, one thing he thought it lacked was wildlife. How nice it would be, he thought, to have some animals on the island. And so, in the fall he purchased rabbits and set them free on the land. Little did he know the havoc that would ensue.When he landed on the island’s shore the next spring, he was astonished at what he found. Hundreds of rabbits ran wild over the land, consuming everything in sight. Any vegetation within their reach had been devoured. The island was in a state of bunny chaos, and something had to be done.My grandfather and the children spent days rounding up the rabbits. What a circus it must have been. The above photo shows my grandfather, triumphant over two of his captures.This story never ceases to make me smile. While I find the story hysterical, it has also taught me a valu-able lesson: it’s okay to make mistakes. As careful as you try to be, everyone messes up now and again. I, for one, have had more than my fair share of “oops” moments. Although this story is a rather small error in the grand scheme of life, I’ve found that it applies to almost all situations. Things aren’t always going to go your way; life will through you curve balls. It’s all about how you handle them. It’s important to keep a level head and find a solution to the problem at hand. You can’t allow yourself to be overwhelmed by your mistakes. Instead, try and learn from them. This is what my grandfather has always done, and I can assure you that no rabbits will be found on the island again.

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1 My grandfather with his Land Rover, still in use today. 2 The first flag raising on the island. 3–5 Candid moments with my grandfather over the years.

is because I’ve seen the benefits of doing so, and it is

something I believe our society needs to be reminded of.

My grandfather has shown me that if you’re economi-

cal and conscious with your spending, you will want

for nothing. I have seen this truth with him and my

grandmother. By spending only what was necessary,

taking care of what they bought, and saving the rest,

they have been able to live a comfortable and fulfilled

life, even in retirement. Not only have they had enough

for themselves, but have been generous enough to share

the excess with their family. I can only hope to one day

be as fortunate.

During my lifetime, my grandfather has

taught me so much about life. While

these lessons I’ve shared have had great

importance, they only begin to scratch the surface of

what he has shown me. I see my grandparents as two of

the most important people in my life. I have no doubt

that without them, I wouldn’t be close to the person

I am today. They have supported me unconditionally,

through the many ups and downs of my life. I feel so

fortunate to have had such a strong team standing be-

hind me, cheering me on along the way.

I have learned that I need to value my education, for it

is my ticket to a better and brighter future. I have also

learned that this education does not stop in the class-

room, and I should never cease to strive for knowledge.

There is always something to learn, and something to

gain. I have learned that working hard will open doors I

never thought possible, and to never let anything stand

in the way of my dreams. He has taught me that when

I do these things, and if I am careful with the benefits

they give me, I will be able to lead a happy and comfort-

able life.

My grandfather started at the bottom. From a farm-

house all the way to the courthouse, his journey has

been incredible. He worked each and everyday to reach

the goals he set for himself. He overcame innumerable

obstacles and setbacks, and eventually came out on top.

No matter what problems he encountered along the

way, he never gave up. And, because of him, neither

will I.

LESSONS FROM GRANDDAD