Thursday, March 6, 2008

MAGICAL SOAP

Nathan's Green Apple Collage "age 9"



Gramps and I are firm believers in preventing night leg cramps by putting a bar of soap under the fitted sheet in our bed. We both keep a bar of soap on our side of the bed. We even carry two bars of soap with us when we travel and place them in the beds in motel rooms and in beds where we visit. We've forgotten to retrieve them and have left them as calling cards in many motel rooms. I know the maids have wondered what in the world they are doing in the beds. Our relatives understand us and just save the soap that we leave in their beds until our next visits. We really never doubted that it works and we've told our own children about it many times. They probably think we're loony, but we don't question success. We rarely have leg cramps at night now, where we used to have them all the time. Not long ago when we were visiting California our precious grandson Nathan sprained his ankle skateboarding. He had a hard time getting up the stairs of their house leading to his bedroom but he finally did, grimacing in pain all the way. I fixed an ice pack for him and took it upstairs to his room and placed it on the affected ankle, which was beginning to swell. We were all going to take an important trip the next day and Nathan wanted to make sure that the ankle would be well so he wouldn't be hampered. Nathan asked me in a pitiful, woeful voice, "Grandma, do you think if I put a bar of soap on my ankle or put one under my sheet that it will make my sprained ankle get well faster?" There's one person who believes in the magical bar of soap that we use. I assured him that a bar of soap under the sheet is only good for leg cramps. Now that I think about it, I wish Nathan and I had tried it. We might have discovered a new cure for a sprained ankle. Athletes everywhere would have been grateful to Nathan for the discovery. Grandchildren believe everything we say so be careful what you discuss around them. By the way, Gramps' brother says that the reason grandparents and grandchildren get along so well together is they have a common enemy. Truer words were never spoken!

MOLDY MOUTHS


Our grandson Neil spent a few weeks with us for several summer beginning when he was seven years old. Neil taught us how to be good grandparents.
Neil was even responsible for getting rid of Grandpop's sternness by calling attention to Grandpop's "The Look." Neil would fall out of his chair as if he was suddenly vaporized by "The Look", and that would make Grandpop laugh. We rarely saw "The Look" after that summer.
One day while Neil was swimming in the pool and was spending most of his time under water, like he always did at that age, his head suddenly popped out of the water and he made a declaration which he has kept even to this day. He said, "Grandma, I've just decided to always be generous and kind like all of the Filipinos."
While visiting with us, his primary thoughts were always about taking gifts home to his parents and all of his cousins. We spent many hours picking out gifts for them. His suitcases were always laden with gifts from Oklahoma, so it really was part of his Filipino heritage. They are definitely generous and kind people.
Here is a poem Neil wrote when he was visiting us when he was eight years old. He's a wonderful philosopher!

"The world goes round from you and me,
Together we are family,
Do not gripe and do not scold
Or your mouth just might turn into mold."

Grandparents, watch out for your moldy mouths.

REAL LUCK


Be attentive to what you say to your grandchildren. We, as grandparents, have a monumental influence upon our grandchildren. Our actions are important, but our words are equally important.
When one of our grandsons, Jarrett, was visiting us from California one summer I casually mentioned to him that I had heard that luck means Living Under Christ's Kindness. He listened to me, and made his usual comment of, "Cool, Grandma."
A few months later we were visiting our son and his family in California. While we were there we were invited to attend open house at Jarrett's school. He was in first grade at the time. We observed his art work and his penmanship papers hanging on the wall and we were very proud of him because he has always been an excellent student. He's so eager to please his parents, grandparents and his teachers.
Jarrett introduced us to his teacher. She shook our hands and said to me, "Are you the grandma who told Jarrett what 'luck' means?"
I cautiously took credit for it, curious as to her reaction. The teacher gave Jarrett a motherly hug and said to him, "I'll never forget that 'luck' means Living Under Christ's Kindness."
She turned to us and said, "Jarrett was so enthused to share that with the class at the first of school and we were all delighted to know that. I will never forget it and I will never forget Jarrett for telling me."
Well, my chest swelled with pride, just like any grandparent does when someone praises a grand child. I was especially impressed that Jarrett was not ashamed to share that truth, that luck is Living Under Christ's Kindness. He's always been a deep thinker, very merciful, and a gift to us from God.
I know he'll always remember that luck is not just by a chance occurrence but it is a gift from Kindness Himself.

Monday, March 3, 2008

A HAIR RAISING CHAIR


Gramps and I went to see a New York musical traveling company put on a performance of Camelot at a small college in eastern Oklahoma. It was an excellent performance.
After we left the theater, full to the brim with culture and sophistication, we passed a new business close to the college campus, right on Main Street.
Gramps said to me, very seriously, "Isn't that a terrible name for a beauty shop?"
"What name?" I inquired.
Gramps continued with his serious criticism. "See the name on the big sign over there advertising that new beauty shop? It says, 'The Electric Chair.'"
Surely not, was my thought, doubting that they would ever have any customers with a name like that. So I looked more closely in the direction of the sign. There it was as clear as day, "The Eclectic Chair."
Gramp's dyslexia had kicked in and he missed the C in "eclectic" and had added an R.
He's a hoot to live with.
I was relaying the occasion of Gramps dyslexic mistake to a friend and she told me that her sister-in-law misread a sign advertising a diaper service. She was incensed that a diaper service would name its company Titty Ditty. My friend clued her in, that the actual name was Tidy Didy.
Aging eyes plus a little dyslexia can get us into lots of trouble.