The Randall Women.

The week following Mother’s Day my family laid my grandmother to rest. Donna Jean was a particular woman. She cared deeply about little details in life such as the curl of a ribbon on a package, the length of the sleeves on her crewneck sweatshirt, the vacuum lines in her sitting room carpet, and getting just the right amount of sage in the Thanksgiving Day dressing. For many years I thought her particular nature was about creating and abiding by the rules she made for life. As I grow older, I wonder if it wasn’t more so that she cared deeply about the details of the experience of life she was curating for her family.  

In the last years of her life, I watched my mother and her siblings care for my grandmother as she endured the cruel effects of dementia. They took care of the big things, sure, but it was in the little details; like keeping her weekly hair appointment and making sure the correct shade of bubblegum pink supertunias were planted on her front porch, that I recognize her particular influence. Those were the things, I’m sure, they wanted to do least.  They were tending to the details and curating the experience of the last years of her life.  

My grandmother was a brilliant cook, a skilled artist, a loving wife, mother, grandmother, and friend. She was also an entrepreneur. I can hear her scoffing at the word as I type it. But it’s true- whether she fancied herself a businesswoman or not.  She had a dress shop in our small town where she built a collection for women, called Donna’s Place. It closed long before I came along but knowing my grandmother; purchases were sure to be hand-selected and beautifully wrapped because the details mattered in her work. I see that value in the work of the Randall women she raised.

My mother, a nurse practitioner in women’s health for more than 35 years, often recognizes women by their story before recalling their name. I meet women in Vermilion County, and they delight in their patient experience with her, exclaiming “She is the sweetest and never rushed me out of an exam room!” and “It’s so hard to find a provider that makes an effort to get to know you.” She built relationships because the details matter.

My aunt, an HR professional, conscientiously served the employees of Hyster-Yale Group for more than 40 years. She planned events with meticulous detail, took care of employees and their benefits when they needed it most, and knew every person in the plant by name. She shaped their employment experience because the details matter.

My sister, an attorney and partner in a law firm that represents schools in Colorado, ensures that school districts appropriately accommodate the most vulnerable students achieving the best resolution for learning and development. Her ability to safeguard everyone’s access to education changes the path for many students because the details matter.

My cousin, the dental hygienist who now stays home with her sweet toddler, warms every room with a smile. She innately creates a space where everyone feels welcome. It’s why her patients loved her and why she does so well in shaping that same value in her son. Making everyone feel loved and at home are details that matters.

The youngest of the Randall women, my cousin, creates art with great intention. She shapes every piece with bright, unique patterns. Her art creates joy, and she gifts it generously. If you’re lucky enough to receive one, you know that she has given a piece of her heart to you. Generosity and joy are details that matter.

So, it is from my grandmother and these Randall women that I get my particular nature. A nature to build relationships, shape experiences and meticulously take care of details, safeguard access to education, strive to make everyone feel loved and at home and to give generously and joyfully because in our work, the details matter.