A Look Back At Rosalynn Carter's Sweet Bond With Her Grandson Jason Carter

Given just how impactful former First Lady Rosalynn Carter's life was, it's unsurprising that her passing on November 19, 2023, brought together world leaders and the general public in remembrance and mourning. Her memorial service was an important event that saw the attendance of other former First Ladies, former Presidents, and the current First Lady Jill Biden and President Joe Biden, who had a close relationship with former President Jimmy Carter. Rosalynn left behind a loving family of four children, 11 grandchildren, and 14 great-grandchildren, many of whom had some sweet stories to share at the memorial service. 

In her grandson Josh Carter's speech, he shared that Rosalynn believed she was too young to be called a grandmother, so they just called her "mom," and throughout her life, she remained more like a mother to them. He explained that Rosalynn grew happier as the family grew because there were more babies to play with. Josh added that just two months before her passing, she was still coloring in books with his children. 

She also adored family trips to Disneyland and particularly enjoyed the Tower of Terror ride, which always gave the Secret Service tremendous anxiety. Meanwhile, another of her grandsons, Jason Carter, shared some heartfelt words that the Reverend told him, "My grandma doesn't need a eulogy. Her life was a sermon." Then, he gifted us with a sweet look into his childhood and adulthood as one of Rosalynn's grandsons Jason, revealing some of her grandest adventures.

Jason Carter started his tribute to his grandmother, Rosalynn Carter, by thanking all the First Ladies for their presence and casually thanked them for bringing their husbands along. Then, he sweetly shared some stories of how Rosalynn was like a regular grandmother, despite being such a beloved public figure. For every birthday from his childhood to his adulthood, Rosalynn would give him $20 as a gift. Like any grandmother, she believed no recipe was good enough without a generous heaping of mayonnaise. 

Jason also recalled how Rosalynn bought some cheese and bread on a plane and started making sandwiches for her grandkids. Once all her babies were fed, she started handing them out to random passengers who were overjoyed to get a sandwich from the former First Lady. Jason also gave us a look into Rosalynn's adventurous side, which led her to travel across the globe to 120 countries, including several lesser-known destinations. 

Jason said that she practiced tai chi with a sword, which greatly amused his children. He shared, "She was a voyager, mountain climber. She learned to ski in her 60s and skied for another 25 years." Jason also revealed that she climbed up impressive peaks, like Mount Kilimanjaro and Fuji, and even got to the summit of some in Bolivia. She traveled to the base camp of Mount Everest and Jason knew she wanted a shot at getting to the top, and he believed she would do it if given the chance. 

In many ways, Jason Carter thought his grandmother Rosalynn Carter's adventures were a metaphor for who she was. He explained that although the former First Lady was born just a little while after women got the right to vote, she still strived to make her up to the top of the world and change it for the better. Jason was proud of his grandma for speaking up about mental health issues at a time when it was still considered taboo, encouraging open discussions about it, and forming the Rosalynn Carter Symposium on Mental Health Policy to bring policy reforms for those battling mental health issues. 

He gushed, "We're in the last mile because she could see far. She kept going. She was not afraid of these long journeys," he added. "Her advocacy for mental health was a 50-year climb that is as remarkable as any other." Jason adored that whenever his grandmother visited impoverished countries, she didn't pity the people there, but tried to form a partnership to help make their climb to a better life easier. 

To finish his heartfelt tribute, Jason shared an adorable story that took place as Rosalynn got older and needed a cane to walk. One time, she was practicing before leaving the house, and she told Jason, "You know it's not a cane. It's a trekking pole. It's the exact same kind that those women use when they go to the South Pole."