Most of my "words to live by" came from my Mom. But there is one thing my Dad said to me that I have never forgotten.
It happened two or three years before this picture of us was taken in the fall of 1960 - my senior year in highschool - a couple months before my 17th birthday.
There was a movie showing in town that I was just 'dying' to see. I had to see that movie. I begged first Mom and then Dad to take me to town so I could see that movie!
Neither of them relented. I went into a major whining, moping, crying fit. Dad said to me: "If not going to that show is the biggest disappointment you ever have in your life, you'll be lucky."
I didn't appreciate it at the time but he was trying to teach me to put things into perspective.
Kids need to learn how to deal with small frustrations in order to cope with larger disappointments later in life. Over my lifetime my way of dealing has been the development of the philosophy that 'it wasn't meant to be' or 'everything happens for a reason' even when I don't understand the reason at the time.
For the past week I have been looking forward to seeing my grandson Brock for the first time in more than two years and seeing his son, Ridge, for the first time ever. Ridge is my first great grandchild, born four months and two days before Rodney. And while I looked forward to seeing them both, I did not let myself believe that it would actually happen. A good thing, because they did not come down. There have been a lot of disappointments where Brock has been concerned. I was protecting my heart from yet another.
Because of the circumstances, I know I'll never get to be the grandma to Ridge that I will be to Rodney, but I do believe I'll see both Brock and Ridge before too long. I won't be disappointed.
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