Granny's Flame

Flower Among the Thorns

I don’t want to say I woke up in a lot of pain. But I have a pinched nerve located between my shoulder blades that decided it wants to hurt today. And for some damn reason my heart wants to beat funky. Don’t worry that usually goes away on its own. But it’s the pitched nerve however is causing the most discomfort at the moment. We all have our troubles, believe me I know. I suppose more than anything it’s the way we handle those troubles that’s most important.

I think my Grandma Geiger taught more than anyone how to carry myself when troubles strike. The older I get, the more I understand the effort it took for her to face the physical pain she went through everyday. Like myself she was diabetic, had heart issues, and suffered from the lasting effects of smoking and obesity. Yet my Grandmother hardly faced a day without a smile. And no I’m not talking about the one of those fake smiles. She had a general positive attitude about life. Now I’ve seen her cry, be sad, and have a physically bad day. But somewhere more times than not, her attitude was always encouraging and uplifting.

I could learn a lot from her. I mean when I’m writing it’s quite easy for me to be encouraging, even a little inspirational. But in the real world I tend to be the same cynical smart-ass I’ve always been. My mom used to say it was the devil in me, my dad on the other hand blamed mom. Either way we are a product of our upbringing. I could fill a book with my Grandma’s sage advice. But instead I’ll leave you alone with this one thought. Life is but a burning candle. So decide rather you want to be a guiding light or an angry flame.

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