Greatness in a smile
A few days ago my great-grandmother passed away. It’s amazing to me that for 33 years I had a great-grandmother. But even more amazing wasn’t the longevity of her life, but how much her smile made me a better person.
I didn’t know her well. As life usually dictates, not everyone can be a part of your “daily grind” and maybe, in some ways, it’s better that they aren’t. So, I only saw “Nannie”, on average once a year, during Christmas. But even though our meetings were brief, every year she greeted me with a joyous smile and a warm hug. She’d tell me how old she was, talk to me about how many generations there were in my family and show me unconditional love and support, such a rare trait nowadays.
Even at 99 years old, passing of such a joyous person is still difficult. As worker-bees, we quickly roll back into the day-to-day, forever trapped in an endless work-life cycle, hardly missing a beat in this fast paced world. But when the mood strikes me, I will put out hand, close my eyes and tell the world to stop, while I pay tribute to my great-grandmother. Maybe I’ll end my work day early, maybe I’ll sit outside in peace, maybe I’ll spend a couple extra moments per day thinking about how amazing it was to have such a great person in my life, someone who smiled at me even during my toughest days.
Her unconditional smile replaced some sorrow in my life. And for that I cannot thank her enough. Her presence, her sprit, and her smile made me a better person. Such greatness in a smile.
Thank you Nannie.
I didn’t know her well. As life usually dictates, not everyone can be a part of your “daily grind” and maybe, in some ways, it’s better that they aren’t. So, I only saw “Nannie”, on average once a year, during Christmas. But even though our meetings were brief, every year she greeted me with a joyous smile and a warm hug. She’d tell me how old she was, talk to me about how many generations there were in my family and show me unconditional love and support, such a rare trait nowadays.
Even at 99 years old, passing of such a joyous person is still difficult. As worker-bees, we quickly roll back into the day-to-day, forever trapped in an endless work-life cycle, hardly missing a beat in this fast paced world. But when the mood strikes me, I will put out hand, close my eyes and tell the world to stop, while I pay tribute to my great-grandmother. Maybe I’ll end my work day early, maybe I’ll sit outside in peace, maybe I’ll spend a couple extra moments per day thinking about how amazing it was to have such a great person in my life, someone who smiled at me even during my toughest days.
Her unconditional smile replaced some sorrow in my life. And for that I cannot thank her enough. Her presence, her sprit, and her smile made me a better person. Such greatness in a smile.
Thank you Nannie.
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