My grandmother called me yesterday afternoon while the boys and I were making some chocolate oatmeal cookies (we omitted 1/2 cup of flour and added cocoa instead!). We were just scooping the last spoonfuls of dough onto the cookie sheet when the phone rang…I love it when she calls, we chat about this and that, and I usually end up asking her tidbits of advice about homekeeping and child-rearing. She gives the best advice – so, so full of perspective! (~Grandma is Portuguese, was raised in Hawaii, and is a woman of great faith.) While we were on the phone, she shared with me some thoughts/sayings out of a book that she’s been reading…here are two of them:
“It is better to build strong children then try to repair adults.” What a great piece of wisdom, coming from someone who truly raised 4 stong children (my mother being one of them).
The other is “Worry is a futile thing, it is somewhat like a rocking chair. Although it keeps you occupied, it doesn’t get you anywhere.” Isn’t that the truth! Back, and forth, and back and forth, we mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, rock our chairs and rock our chairs don’t we!
She also shared with me a paraphrase of Philippians 4:11-13. Grandma’s paraphrase went like this: “I’ve learned by now to be quite content whatever my circumstances. I’m just as happy with little as with much, with much as with little. I’ve found the recipe to being happy whether full or hungry, hands full or hands empty, whatever I have, wherever I am I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am.”
~Thanks for the phone call yesterday Grandma, I’ll talk to you again soon.~
