Wisdom – Wright Now

A Wise Man

My great-grandfather was a very wise man. He was my step great-grandfather, but I didn’t know it until I was an adult, nor did it ever matter. My great grandmother was a widow raising three children when she met him in Los Angeles. He worked as a secretary in a large steel company until his retirement, when he went to work for General Electric as a security guard.

He bought a modest two- bedroom house in South Central Los Angeles. That house was a gathering place, and often my home when I was growing up. I called him Nino, but his name was Joseph. He had a huge backyard where he grew fruit trees and vegetables. He always said that you should grow things you can eat. He always made sure there was plenty to eat. For lunch he would holler in Spanish, “Ninos, venga!” Lunch was an array of fruit from the yard and tortillas that my great grandmother made.

Nino came from Cuba and was diligent about reading. He told me that Reader’s Digest helped him learn English. School and church were important to him. He told me that reading books is the key to life. When there was a Father-Daughter fashion show at my school I asked him to take me. He also took me to Dodger games and explained the game to me. He said that a fan is always faithful.

When I got married, I asked him to walk me down the aisle. He was the one constant in my life. Nino would tell me little bits of advice, like, “Brush your hair 100 strokes every day to have it grow long and shiny.” I think that’s why I still have long hair.

I never heard him raise his voice. When he was displeased, he’d shake his head and walk away.

When I got diagnosed with a very serious illness he gave me a piece of paper with the words, “Take up thy bed and walk.” I think of his words when it gets hard to get out of bed or I don’t feel like exercising.

I named my son after Nino in hopes that my son would be as kind and loving as my Nino. He is.

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A Little Love

More important than me loving you, is you loving yourself. I’ve been thinking a lot about self-love and how it is not selfish to love and care for yourself. Sadness, loneliness and despair can keep you trapped in a downward spiral. Self-pity can wrap around you like a poisonous vine. I love a quote from Susan David’s book, Emotional Agility: ” Don’t believe everything you think.” Begin each day by saying three things you are grateful for. I can start you off with number one, you woke up to see another day. Be patient with yourself. Get outside even for a few minutes. Take deep breaths and let them out slowly while thinking of who you could help this day, even if it is yourself, and even if you share a smile with someone. Take care, my friend.

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Happy Birthday to me

Today is my birthday and I am happy and grateful to enjoy another year. Getting older would not be my first choice, but I can kick up a fuss or embrace it.

My goal this year is to eat right, show gratitude, give love more often, smile more, learn more, travel. read, sew, have adventures, and look for the good. I plan to spend lots of time with my beautiful grandchildren.

First on my agenda is breakfast at my favorite cafe, then a walk on the pier. I am off to a good start.

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I am grateful

I have many reasons to be grateful. It’s been a tough year, but at times I see glimmers of hope that we may all be on the road to living whatever our normal was, only stronger, better, more resilient. A trip to the grocery store, then my favorite cafe took on a new ambiance. I chose to sit outdoors in the sun rather than at my usual booth tucked in the corner. I wanted to see the people walking by, the birds flying past, even the cars on the road. It was affirming to tell the waitress that I appreciate her for serving delicious food. I was happy to shop for my own groceries as I learn to smile with my eyes. Today a lady in the parking lot walked toward me, quickly distanced herself, yet all the while I was happy to be 6 feet from another person. There is no room in my life for taking things for granted. Every day is a gift. I am grateful to wake up, get up, show up, and be ready to give thanks.

This gratitude journal makes it easy and enjoyable to develop a daily practice through insightful prompts that only take a few minutes to complete. You’ll feel inspired to notice things―big and small―that you might otherwise take for granted and pause to feel grateful for them.

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