I was blessed with the opportunity to spend time with both sets of grandparents today. I spent the early afternoon with my dad's parents and the late afternoon/evening with my mom's parents. Funny thing is, we had Tim's Pizza for lunch, and then I had it again for dinner!
While I spent time with all of them, I observed them and listened as they told me funny stories and imparted some wisdom to me. I've learned several lessons from my grandparents over the years. Here's a few of them:
1. Laugh at yourself.
My grandma on my dad's side was eating a salad today, and had managed to spill a piece or two of shrimp on her shirt. My papa pointed it out to her, and they had a good laugh about it. That's not the only time that's happened, though. She's done it almost every single meal we've shared together. But every time, she doesn't seem embarassed about it at all; she just laughs at herself and moves on. My mom's dad also misplaced his garage door opener tonight and couldn't find it anywhere. We were sitting in Tim's Pizza for dinner, and he reached into his pocket to grab his phone, and there was the garage door opener. He smiled to himself, and we had a good laugh about that, too.
2. Respect your spouse.
On our way back home from picking up our food from Tim's for lunch, my dad's mom was talking about something that my papa had heard from someone that he was so sure about (something to do with cars & finances, I can't remember exactly what it was about now). But then, she got quiet for a few seconds, then said, "Well, I'm not going to question it. He has provided well for our family, and seems to know what he's doing!" WOW. Talk about respect and reverence.
3. [Truly] love your spouse. Marriage is forever.
Just the fact that my mom's parents have been married for over 51 years and my dad's parents almost 50 years speaks volumes. WOW.
4. Sometimes the littlest acts of kindness go a long way.
My mom's dad calls my grandma his "princess." I have also witnessed that same grandma trim my papa's nose & ear hair. They have taught me how to be a servant.
5. Have a good attitude about life.
All four of my grandparents always have a good attitude, no matter how badly their day may have gone. My dad's dad always has a song that he's whistling (the same one that he's been whistling for over 15 years - I had it memorized by the time I was 8 years old! hehe) and a smile on his face. From what I know, he didn't have the best home life when he was younger. That has not stopped him from being so kind and bringing a smile to everyone's faces. Same with my other papa - something happened in his early years that could've caused him to remain bitter all throughout his life. I have never seen him bitter about ANYTHING. They have both carried on with their lives with such peace and contentment that is rare nowadays.
6. Age is only a number.
My mom's mom is one of the youngest people at heart that I know. She always has a song to sing or hum, quick to laugh and smile, gets excited about the littlest things, and isn't afraid to be absolutely silly. She would always read out loud the stories of "da Brer Rabbit, Brer Bear, and da Brer Fox" to my two cousins, my sister, and me when we were little girls (I had THAT story memorized by the time I was ten years old!) She has such a child-like faith in God that is indescribable. She has definitely been one of my biggest role models because of that!
7. Working hard gets you far in life.
All of my grandparents have worked hard their entire lives. They've provided well for their families and have taught their children how to work hard. They and my parents have taught me that truth, as well. Yes, they have imparted that wisdom to me by word of mouth, but the most impact of that truth has come from them fleshing it out. My mom's dad is retired in name only. He still teaches trumpet lessons and works in the yard in his free time. When he's not doing either of those things, he's out in his shop working on his model trains.
8. Invest in other people.
It amazes me how much older people invest in the lives of the people around them. I hear stories all the time of how so-and-so's daughter moved from her house somewhere or what so-and-so was doing for them and how sweet that was. I know a lot of people myself, but am I investing my time by helping them or getting to know them like all of my grandparents are doing with the people in their life? That's something that's challenged me.
Whether they realize it or not, my grandparents have most definitely influenced who I am today. They have taught me so many important life lessons, not because they've told me them, but because they've fleshed those life lessons out for me to see in person. To my grandparents, if you're reading this, I cannot begin to thank you enough for being the amazing role models that you are and have been my whole life. I love you all so much!
They say that old dogs can't learn new tricks. Maybe that's true. But maybe, just maybe, it's the old dogs that should teach new dogs the old tricks.
No comments:
Post a Comment