Have you ever found yourself blown away by your kid’s profound mutterings and musings? I realised the other day that grandkids are not only bundles of joy; they come to us as little fonts of wisdom and if we listen to them they can change the course of our lives for the better.
As my aching legs were about to give way, and perspiration ran in rivulets down my spine, turning a faded blouse a rich magenta, my 12-year-old grandson insisted we walk the length and breadth of the Johannesburg Zoo recently. Whilst fervently searching for a bench to collapse in, I received an inspirational shot in the arm. How could I not lend an ear to a kid who’d recently lost his Dad and whose Mom was temporarily unavailable? As the giraffe disappeared on the horizon, and I sensed my immediate expiration – I felt a small arm encircle my soggy waist. “Do you ever miss your Dad, Gran”? gosh, no one had ever enquired of that from me in the last ten years or so, but hey, it felt good that someone thought I wasn’t beyond missing a long-departed parent. “Yes, sometimes sweetheart” came my reply: I wasn’t about to ask the same of him knowing only too well his inner turmoil. Without missing a beat, he reminded me that life is a gift, tomorrow isn’t promised to us, and we need to live each day as if it was our last, ending with ‘but hey, I’ve got YOU, Gran’ taking my breath away and as the tears flowed, he hugged me a little tighter.
I suddenly felt empowered and more determined than ever to launch myself into the job market at the tender age of 73! To be available to this precious human, ensuring his ongoing education and security is all the motivation I needed. So when adversity knocks, don’t let it pull you down; look for ways to sharpen your skills or learn new ones, throw caution to the wind, after all, we only ever have today, and listen intently to the wisdom of the young!
Add Comment