When Brad Ryan’s parents got divorced 21 years ago, the young man ended up estranged from his grandmother, Joy Ryan of Duncan Falls, Ohio. But when the two crossed paths again, they were able to bond and set a lofty goal that saw Joy make history: at 93, she has visited all 63 U.S. national parks – and their family healed significantly along the way.
Grandma Joy has had a very busy nine decades of life. She and her family went through personal conflicts and she fell into poor health for some time. But most recently, she’s not only visited dozens of landmarks across the U.S., she’s also made history as the oldest person to visit every one – all this for someone who had never seen much beyond her small corner of the world!
Grandmother Joy Ryan and her grandson Brad reconnect and get her traveling
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The seeds for Joy’s remarkable journey were planted in 2008 when Joy – then 78 – and Brad both attended his sister’s wedding. “She came into the church and she was gaunt,” he recalled. “Very unsteady. It was hard to see this woman that was so important to me in my formative years on the cusp of dying, knowing that there was so much anger and distance between us.” But in the months immediately following this reunion, Joy recovered and Brad, seizing this opportunity, reached out to reconnect.
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Despite the lingering tension, the two stayed in contact, most helpfully when Brad found himself in a dark place emotionally as he went through vet school and heard of a young man committing suicide. Joy received a call from brad, who “wanted to know if I wanted to go down to the Smoky Mountains and stay in a tent.”
By that time, Joy was 85 and had never seen a mountain or the ocean before. “The best thing I ever did was to call her that day,” Brad feels. Joy’s inexperience was obvious to their fellow hikers, but the group of college friends at the summit that day gave her a big cheer. This marked the birth of a tradition that saw Joy, who had seen and traveled so little, visit every national park.
Brad encourages Joy to make history at every national park
After that first national park visit, Brad realized they were relatively close together and in just enough of a loop Joy could be brought to each. “And all I could think about was, ‘I’ve got to see Grandma Joy at Old Faithful, I’ve got to see her at the Redwoods, I’ve got to see her at the Grand Canyon. I just have to do this, I just have to have those memories for my own long-term happiness. I think we’re two peas in a pod when it comes to just our desire for travel, adventure, connection,'” said Brad.
The National Park of American Samoa ended up the last one in the collection for them to visit. They landed on a warm, sunny day in the middle of May and the flight attendant announced to the passengers what Joy was about to do with Brad; everyone cheered and outside, the sun shined in approval.
Now in even better health, this mother of three and grandmother of four has no problem keeping up with Brad. Joy says “it helps to be optimistic,” to stay fit, “And you have to have the will to do it. And I’ve been lucky health-wise that I’m able to do that.”
Consider the advice on her Instagram page’s post, reading, “If she can experience so much life starting at age 85, imagine what is possible for your life if you dare to take the first step today.”
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