Unconventional Wisdom: Lessons from My Grandmother

Has your family ever taught life lessons you feel you will never need? My family is notorious for life lessons, some more vital than others, but everyone in the family is always judgmental or has many suggestions on how I should do something. My grandmother, who has taught me a great deal, is the most informed person about useless facts. Although my grandmother’s teaching style is eccentric, I have found it is the most useful. It is almost inevitable if I learn something from my grandmother, I will have a use for it later in life. Life is always altering and my grandmother unknowingly prepared me. I can remember the day like it was yesterday I was seven years old, and all I sought was to go outside. It was the first day of Christmas break

Our kitchen table sat alongside a sliding glass door. I could not stay focused on what my grandmother was explaining, there was too many distractions. There was a remaining aroma of pancakes from breakfast and a bright white reflection of the snow outside to our chestnut colored walls, I struggled to pay attention to my grandmother. In her hand, she had a small piece of an old cloth faded gray in color and matted down from many years of washing dishes. The fabric had a slight musty smell from sitting in our cedar closet for years. “We’re going to sew the two corners of this material together,” my grandmother explained. She brought out some bright white string and a shiny silver sewing needle. She began to thread the needle, I remember her struggling to see the tiny hole in which the string must go through. She wore tiny purple glasses positioned on the end of her nose and her curly brown hair fell across her face. I’ve been told many times I am my grandmothers “mini-me.” Actually most people would say, “You look just like your mom!” unaware of the fact that she was my grandmother. My grandmother is young for her age, mid-fifties, but yet still wise. After many tries, due to the unsteadiness in her hands, she finally had the needle successfully threaded. I sighed with relief because, as a young child, I had yet to learn patience. Looking at me, my grandmother smiled and yanked the thread free from the needle. I