Quote: “I’ve never owned a dishwasher, but I’ve always had the best dish-dryer in the world.” – My Grandma
Story:
My Grandma passed away on Tuesday. She lived in Pierceton, Indiana – a tiny midwestern town with one stoplight. Their home was small, but always well taken care of. They didn’t drive flashy cars or go on lavish vacations. My Grandpa worked as a truck driver and Grandma worked as a nurse for several decades. She didn’t know how to use a cell phone, a computer, or any type of Bluetooth device. And as mentioned above, she never owned a dishwasher. Instead of being resentful for not having a dishwasher, she was grateful for her dish dryer (my Grandpa). Those were their roles. Grandma hand-washed all the dishes and Grandpa hand-dried all the dishes. Maybe that was one of the keys to 60+ years of a happy marriage? I digress.
Superpowers:
Grandma had so many superpowers, too many to mention in a Friday email. Perhaps the most blatantly obvious gift she gave to the world was her commitment to serving. They happily opened their home to kids in the community who didn’t have a safe place to sleep. Handcrafted and hand-sewn quilts, blankets, shawls, and clothes to give to those in need. Delivering homemade meals to the community for every possible occasion. Shoveled snow for all her elderly neighbors. Served their little church in every capacity known to man. She gave generously to nearly every charity that asked. She was the salt of the earth… A doer, and a giver, and a servant.
Enough:
I have a theory on how she always made the time and found the energy to serve… You see she always had enough, but never too much. Not having too much is a modern day superpower. Most of us have so much stuff (both in terms of possessions, but also items on our calendar) that we don’t have any reserve time, energy, and money. We spend our time, energy, and money on the “stuff” and we can’t take advantage of opportunities to serve people in need or give generously when unexpected opportunities arise. With Grandma, there was never a need to keep up with the Joneses. No need for the latest and greatest anything. Just grateful for what she had. In our world, especially on Black Friday, we are bombarded by thinking we need more of this and more of that. I think we would be better served if we all smashed our stupid cell phones into a million pieces and invested our energy loving our neighbors and offering a helping hand to someone in need. Today, I am especially grateful for my Grandma’s reminder that in life, less is often more.
Truth: “Gratitude turns what we have into enough.” – Aesop
Reflection Question: What if you woke up today with only the things you expressed gratitude for yesterday? Would that be enough?
I sincerely appreciate you. Enjoy your weekend!