Today, June 6, is the birthday of my grandfather, Leonard Juniak.
Growing up in a Polish family, my siblings and I always called him "Jaja" which is the Polish word for grandpa.
Jaja passed away several years ago, but I still like to pause and think about him on this day because he was one of the greatest influences on my life.
He grew up during the Great Depression, he served as a navigator's yeoman in the Navy during World War II, and worked a mill job at PPG in Creighton for 38 years to provide for his wife and daughter (my mom). After my grandma passed away and he retired, he moved in with our family and became a second dad to me.
Jaja inspired my love of history by telling be stories about his life during the Depression and about some of his antics with other sailors during WWII. He also gave me my love of politics by trying to convince me that Harry Truman was the greatest president in history, while Richard Nixon is rightly referred to as a crook. He encouraged my piano playing by taking me to lessons every week, and he never missed a swim meet, band concert, or piano recital during my high school years.
He was one of that "Greatest Generation" of Americans who put family first, took pride in his work, was stubbornly devoted to his convictions, and was always willing to lend a hand to a friend or neighbor in need.
In the last chapter of Romans, St. Paul gives an impressive list of people who had influenced him and supported him in his life. Were I to write that kind of list, Jaja would appear right below my mom and dad, and to paraphrase St. Paul, "I thank my God at every remembrance of him."
Who are some of the human role models who have inspired you and helped to develop your character?
