Grandma’s Thanksgiving Lesson

Thanksgiving this year was a fabulous family affair. We had the entire crew of aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, etc. including dogs and cats romping around my aunt Cherie’s house. My grandmother was there cooking up a storm despite having had brain surgery to remove a tumor just nice months before. What a woman.

As I watched her transfer the duties of being the head of the family dinners to her daughter, I reflected on one of the great lessons she has taught me.

Over the years, my Grandmother has been through a lot of changes. She grew up as the youngest of a large farm family in Southern Maryland. She married my grandfather at a young age, watched him go off to fight in Europe in WWII, and then was by his side as he suffered and ultimately died from rheumatoid arthritis. As the youngest sibling, she watched as one by one, her brothers and sisters passed away over the last few years.

This past year she had to manage her own health issues when she was diagnosed with a brain tumor that was pressing on a nerve and causing her to lose her ability to walk. In just nine months, she has gone from being in a wheelchair to being able to help out with cook Thanksgiving dinner.

What I have learned by watching Grandma all these years is that change happens and you can either fight it and be miserable or roll with it and find happiness.

Although she has experienced many difficult situations, Grandma always maintains a sunny outlook. No matter what is happening, she knows it will change and good times will come again. In the middle of every crisis, she finds something positive to focus on, even if it is just that people are coming together to help each other through a rough spot.

If the economy has battered your business, or the holidays have you stressed out, take a page from Grandma’s book and remember that everything is temporary. Focus on the best parts of whatever is going on and find a way to be thankful for those things. The yucky stuff will soon be gone and you’ll have even more wonderful things to be grateful for.

Happy official start of the holiday season!