Yesterday’s
blog post got me thinking about my other grandpa who is no longer with us. Combined with yesterday being his birthday
and my mother sending me a pic of him, it mad me think about what a great
person my Grandpa Hale was. In fact, I quite
often think about him and his amazing qualities he projected and shared with
those who knew him. To me, he is the
greatest man I know. If there is one
person I strive to be like, it’s him. He lived a long and healthy life. I often wonder how he would handle certain situation that I find myself in, and then
channel that to help me navigate them. He
has so many great qualities that I would like to share them with you.
So
today I would like to impart on you Lessons to Learn from Grandpa Hale:
1. Be Humble: My grandpa was a humble and selfless man. He never bragged about himself or boasted
about his accomplishments. He was an
amazing musician and wood worker, yet, he was always modest in his talking of
his craft and talent. He would show us
his bowls that he made on the lathe from an educational standpoint, explaining
his technique in making them and the wood they were created from, verses boasting
about what he had made. And even though
he never bragged or sold himself on his musical talents or craftsmanship, he
was well known in his community for his abilities. He let actions speak louder than words. He was also known for his beautiful garden
that he tended up until the day he died.
He never bragged about his harvest, but was always curious about
gardening, eager to learn more, and excited to share what his produce.
2. When I eat, I eat: Grandpa was very zen. He didn’t meditate in the way you think of
sitting cross-legged on the floor and letting your mind be void of
thought. But he did meditate in his own
way. When he listened to music, he
listened to music. He sat in his chair
and listened to the record or tape player.
He wasn’t reading the paper at the same time or doing the dishes, he was
just listening. All of his attention was
on the music playing. When he cooked, he
cooked. He wasn’t watching T.V. or talking
on the phone, he was cooking. All of his
attention was on cooking. He was mindful
to what he was doing when he was doing it.
He slowed down and didn’t multitask to the point of exhaustion like so
many of us do these days. I never saw my
grandpa get upset…EVER! He was always
positive!
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| Grandpa's workshop |
3. Whistled while you work: My
grandpa would whistle while he worked and he always had a spring in his
step. My grandpa would be cleaning up
the kitchen, or coming up from downstairs where his workshop was and he would
be whistling, always a happy tune. Now,
I lack the ability to whistle in any way, so whistling may not be for me. But humming could work or singing a song in
my head could prove sufficient.
Something to keep me spry and motivated in my day-to-day life.
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| Grandpa with my Uncle Ed |
4. Use your resources: My
grandparents didn’t have much money when they were young, however they made
ends meet and then some by being resourceful and self sufficient. Like I mentioned before, my grandfather had a
beautiful garden that he tended to every spring, summer, and fall. And with that food, he was able to feed his
family. With his extra harvest, he would
can and save for the winter when the ground was frozen and covered with
snow. My grandma would make delicious
freezer jam with the extra strawberries.
I can still remember eating her Texas toast with strawberry jam! And if we were lucky she’d send a tub home
with us. Not only did my grandpa have a
garden that helped to feed the family, he also fished and hunted. He would go out fishing and literally bring
home dinner. How many of us can say
that? He would trap beavers and mink and
sell their fur to make some extra money.
Along with his ability to produce food for the family, my grandfather
was extremely crafty. He built the house
that my father grew up in and is still sturdy and strong today. He also made most of the furniture in the
house; dressers, the dining room table, and night stands. He made beautiful and intricate wooden bowls,
vases, and candlesticks on the lathe and sold them at a farmers market. So, when I’m at the end of my budget, usually
at the end of the month, I look to my grandpa and get inspired to be creative
in ways I can be resourceful and self-sufficient.
5. Never stop moving: My grandpa was a mover. He would wake up every morning before the
crack of dawn to walk the track at the local high school. His house was about two blocks from the high
school, so he would head down there and walk three miles. Sometimes he would meet a friend and
sometimes he would walk alone. But rain
or shine, he was there walking. He was
persistent and determined. My
grandfather never stopped working either.
He made wooden and later stone bowls on the lathe, played his tuba, and
worked in the garden until he passed away. He was completely self-sufficient at
age 98! Who wouldn’t want to be him?
6. Keep
your lunch big and your dinner small: Mealtimes where fairly predictable at my
grandparents. Breakfast was coffee,
fresh squeezed OJ, and cereal or toast.
On special occasions, my grandma would make homemade cinnamon
rolls! Breakfast goodies were always set
out on the table. Dinner was served at
12 sharp without fail. When planning
trips to visit my dad’s parents, my parents would always plan around meal
times. We had to make sure we came
before 12 or after 1 as noon was mealtime.
Dinner was their largest meal of the day. It was a fairly nice spread of some sort of
meat such as ham or turkey, a vegetable, usually from the garden, and a starch
in the form of potatoes or rolls. The
table was set and we all ate together. We
also had desert after Dinner, which was my favorite part of visiting the grandparents
;). At supper, served at 6pm sharp, a
smaller and simpler meal was prepared.
Sometimes, this would be leftovers form dinner or the day before, or
sandwiches and a simple salad, but definitely a smaller and lighter meal. We also got desert after supper as well! (sidebar: I asked my dad if he always got
desert after dinner and supper growing up and he said yes! Amazing!)
The lesson here is to eat a large lunch and a smaller dinner, as your
body needs more fuel in the earlier part of the day rather than the later part
of the day. So many of us eat a smaller,
quick lunch and gorge out during dinner when we actually have time to sit and
eat. My grandparents also created time to
sat down at the table for their meals, there were no excuses! There were no meals on the go or standing
while eating. No, when we ate, we ate.
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| Grandpa lookin' dapper |
7. Find joy in small and simple things: My
grandpa didn’t live a luxurious life, he didn’t travel much, and his home
lacked some modern conveniences that many of us take for granted, yet he was
always so happy and full of joy. He
always greeted us with a smile and a hug at the door when we cam to visit. He was never mad at his neighbor for this or
that, or annoyed at the garbage man for being so loud. My grandpa was a glass-half-full kind of
man. He always had a positive spin on
life and when he talked about something bothering him, he wasn’t angry or mad,
he was calmly looking for advice or describing the situation
matter-of-factly. He was able to find
joy in the small and simple things in life.
I often times get wrapped up in the competition of life and am looking
for something bigger, better, or newer to make me happy, and then I remember my
grandpa and how he would find happiness in gardening, or listening to music, or
having his grandchildren visit. And it
reminds me to look at what I have and to be thankful for that. I live in one of the most beautiful places on
Earth, I can ride my bike all year round comfortably, and I live less than a
mile from one of the most beautiful beaches that is swimmable all year
round. I have great friends and an
amazing boyfriend who support me and encourage me to follow my dreams. I have a small garden that brings me joy,
especially when I eat from it’s harvest.
I have so much to be thankful for and so many things to find joy in all
around me. I don’t need to buy the
latest clothes trends to make me happy, I don’t need a new car to find
joy. All I need to do is look around me
and see the small things.
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