My grandma Rose lived hospitality. Being the youngest of four kids, Grandma Rose was a bit older by the time I came around, but that sure didn't stop her from caring for all of the people that came into her home. I have so many fond memories of visiting and staying with my grandparents - one being that she always had wonderful home-cooked, made-from-scratch food ready for anyone who came over. She didn't make a fuss or make it seem like it was burdensome; it was just who she was. And the food was delicious, as she lived most of her life on a farm and knew how to cook with wholesome and wonderful ingredients.

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Grandma Freid was known for making delicious Czech potato dumplings and a roast accompanied by oodles of wonderful pies. She knew that my favorite was apple pie, so every single time I visited or attended a family gathering, there was always an apple pie waiting to be eaten. That meant something to me as she not only took the time to make all this great food but she knew what people wanted as well!

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Not only was her food and welcoming spirit wonderful, she knew how to create a welcoming space. She wanted everyone in our family to be able to gather for holidays to be together and continue to create relationships with each other as our family grew and spread to different cities. She and my Grandpa William hosted most of the Freid family holidays but had one rule -- "You can't talk about politics!" This one small rule helped our families be together and love each other even if we didn't agree on issues facing the world.

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I am truly grateful for my Grandma Rose Freid.