Granny-O Speaks

December 21, 2021

It is all good Alice. Circumstances can be difficult or even bad, but circumstances are all temporary. We are all creations of God, living in God’s universe. God has created it all. Therefore, it goes to follow it is all good. Adam and Eve lived in the Garden of Eden. The Garden was created by God. It was not only beautiful it was perfect. Adam and Eve could live there forever and ever being filled with love and happiness. There was only one stipulation. Don’t eat the apples. Adam ate the apple, and everything fell apart for them. Goodbye Garden. Goodbye love. Goodbye happiness. Hello trouble and misery. The circumstances were not God’s doing. Adam and Eve messed up. Beyond the circumstances of life Alice, it is all good. In our lives today, things happen. Life happens. Circumstances happen, and life can get difficult. No question about it. But that is not a flaw in God. That is a human flaw, even if it is only a flaw in our perception. God’s perfection is never in doubt. This theory helps us to stay happy while seeing in the darkness of the unknown. While trying to overcome trials and tribulations it helps to know it is all good. To put it into perspective for me, it looks like my life is at a turning point. My ability to function physically may be compromised, and my life may be different from what I have known up until now. Circumstances have changed my physical capabilities. We are still trying to find out the details of my problem, but there is a possibility I will not be able to drive again. I might not be able to go on long walks by myself anymore even with my new walker. My life has changed. But it is circumstances that have occurred that have changed my world. The big picture is still flawless. It is all good. It will always be all good, I might just have to make some adjustments to deal with my new reality. I know my life is a gift, and I am among the living to learn about love, happiness, appreciation and gratitude. Heaven is like the Garden of Eden; in that it is perfection. In Heaven there will not be any human mess ups. In Heaven everything is love and happiness. No sadness, and no pain. Just love, happiness and an endless appreciation of God. No grumbling allowed. While we are alive, we must get over ourselves. We must look at the big picture. When we see beyond the end of our noses, we will know it is all good. It will forever be all good. Have a most marvelous day, Alice. Let’s all have a most marvelous day.

Granny-o

December 17, 2021

Why?… Why? I can give so many reasons why people should be happy. The first is you are loved. The second is life is a gift, and the third is Appreciation and gratitude make everything better.

#1 YOU ARE LOVED. Being loved is one of the greatest reasons for being happy. You are loved. What else could you want? Think about it for a moment. Who in your lifetime has ever loved you? Let’s start with God. God created you and God loves you unconditionally. Wow. Knowing God loves you unconditionally 24/7 should create continual happiness for you. Now it is your turn. Who in your lifetime has ever loved you? Maybe they are deceased, or maybe they are still alive. Either way their love for you will live in your heart for all the days of your life. Just thinking about each person should put a smile on your face. Give it a try. Take your time. There is no rush. Also, this is not a competition. Even if one person has ever loved you. you should be happy.

#2 LIFE IS A GIFT. You did nothing to earn your existence. You came into this world loved, but undeserving. Life is a gift that keeps on giving. It is not a one-shot kind of thing. Every day is a gift. Think about it. You did nothing to deserve your life, and yet here you are living it. Wow. Take a deep breath and think about life being a gift. A gift that keeps on giving. Wow. Are you happy yet? You should be. It is beyond wonderful.

#3 APPRECIATION AND GRATITUDE. Appreciating what you have and being grateful that you have it creates great happiness. Don’t think about what you don’t have and be sad. Think about what you do have and be glad. The list of what you have is unending, because everything is a gift. Life has given you the opportunity to be who you are. Life allows you to happen. Wow. You are God’s gift to you. You were created by God, and then given the opportunity to live your life. You have the tools to grow and improve as you are on your lifelong journey. You have the freedom to make choices that will allow you to fulfill your destiny. Appreciation and gratitude go a long way to being happy. Appreciate what you have and be grateful you have it. The corners of your mouth should be going up as you are reading this blog of mine.

Why? Why should you be happy? There are so many reasons. The more you think about #1, #2, and #3 the happier you will be. It is your choice whether you want to be happy or not. I am just trying to have you focus on the basics. Life is a wonderful adventure. With Christmas just around the corner, think about happy. It would be the best gift you could ever receive. Have a wonderful day. You are one incredible creation. (Deep breath)

Granny-o

December 16, 2021

You mean the… You mean the world to me. I love you. You have been loved by me for so long, you might slough it off. You might say I love you too. Perhaps you will. People do not say I love you to the people they love often enough. It is like the gift of love is taken for granted. Let me say that again, “It is like the gift of love is taken for granted”. It almost makes my eyes want to send a tear down my cheek. How is it possible love from one person to another can be taken for granted? How could it possibly be taken for granted? I have been alive for over 73 years and in my entire life I have loved twenty people. In my entire life. Of the twenty people I have loved, only nine of them are still alive. Wow. The good thing is, I never took any of the twenty people I loved for granted. They each and every one of them decorated my life. I know their love and friendship were a gift to me. When I say I love you I am not just saying it, I mean it. Now that I am over 73 years old, I am even more aware of how blessed I am. I am even more aware of how temporary everyone is. I am not sad for who is no longer here, because memories live in my heart. I appreciate and am grateful for family and friends who are still here. I will continue to make memories, because you never know, tomorrow someone else might be gone. Death has taught me about the appreciation of those who are still alive and still share my life. Wow. How blessed am I? You mean the world to me. Thank you for being so wonderful. How often do the people in your life hear those words? A family dog probably gets more loving words spoken to it than those who have only two legs. Everyone knows they are loved, but why don’t we express our love to each other? You mean the world to me. Wow. How great is that? There was a television show called Davy and Goliath. It was animated, and primarily about Davy and his dog. The show also attempted to show people how to live better lives. One day Davy was feeling unappreciated and was being asked to do his chores before he went out to play. Davy was really angry at having to do anything. He just wanted to go out and play. He said to himself I wish I did not have a family, and then I could do what I want to do when I want to do it. I am paraphrasing here, because it was a long time ago I saw the show. Davy got his wish, and the next day everyone was gone. He was alone. It turned out it was a dream. When Davy woke up in the morning, he realized how much his family meant to him. How much he loved them. How much they loved him. Davy learned a lesson about love. He never complained about having to do chores again, and he had a new appreciation for what he had previously taken for granted. I think we people need an object lesson. Wake up. No one lives forever. The only person who is there with you 24/7 in your life is you. Other people come and go. I love you. Never take those words for granted. To be loved is a gift. Be grateful, forever grateful that you are. You do not deserve love. It is a gift. Hug those you love and see them as you may never see them again. Appreciate all you have. While you still have it. I am happy because I know how blessed I am. To love and to be loved. Have a great day and be happy. Hug someone today and they will be happy too.

Granny-o

December 15, 2021

Perfect. Perfect is when everything is playing out as it should. Perfect is not something you know until you have discovered it. If God had not given us free will to determine our life’s journeys, then everything would be perfect all the time because God created us, and God does not make mistakes. But as humans we carefully put one foot in front of the other, and then pray we do not fall… literally or figuratively speaking. Humans do make mistakes sometimes, because humans are human. Humans are not constructed to be perfect. Humans are constructed to fulfill God’s plans. To do what He needs us to do to complete His vision. No matter how many pieces to the puzzle there are, you are a vital piece. I do jigsaw puzzles sometimes. I like to see the pictures materialize piece by piece. In the end if one piece is missing, an entire puzzle is ruined. Every piece of the puzzle adds to the puzzle’s perfection. When all the pieces are there, the completed puzzle is perfect. That is how I see life. We are all pieces of the puzzle. We are all vital and we are what we are, so that everything will come together. Everything will be as it should be. Everything will be perfect. How cool is that? Does it make you feel important? It should, because you are. Just think God designed you. Just think how cool that is. Work with me here, there is a bit of God in each and every one of us. It is called our spirit. God lives inside of our skin. God is our spirit. That is what I believe, and no matter what your religious affiliation, a lot of people will agree they do have a spirit. The spirit inside of us, is not defined be each person in the same way. For instance, if you had twelve sightless men trying to tell you what an elephant looked like, you would have twelve different reports. It would depend on where the blind man was standing, as to what he would see. We all have to make our own interpretation as to what we see when our spirits are invisible to the naked eye. It is crazy good for me to imagine and appreciate the magic within myself. God thought of everything when He created me. I am so appreciative. I am so happy with who I am. What a long life I have had. I think I am happy because living in God’s world has been a wonderful experience. Wow. Every day I open my cartoon eyes. Every day I realize how grateful I am. Every day I say I am created by God. God does not make mistakes, so it goes to follow, I am a perfect me. I have the tools God has given me to improve myself on a daily basis. Wow. It is 1:06 AM and I am already happy. I am already saying my favorite word. Wow. I guess I will not be going back to bed soon. No need. I am living my dream. No need everything is perfect. Enjoy being a perfect you. By the way, what is your favorite word? Be happy and have a great day.

Granny-o

December 11, 2021

The Giving Tree. The Giving Tree is a book by Shel Silverstein. A lot of people read it to their children in the day, and a lot of people are still buying the book today, so many years later. If you haven’t read it, it is about a tree who loved a little boy very much. The tree gave everything she had to the boy. I will not reveal the whole plot, in case you ever want to read the book for the first time. I loved a little boy and I love trees, so it is a no brainer that at 73 years old I still have the book on my bookshelf. The point I am trying to make is that most people find giving is easier than receiving. What is the old saying, “It is better to give than to receive”? I am here to say, that it is selfish to always be the giver. To always have someone beholding to you. Sometimes it is a good thing to be the taker. At Christmas, how many people overindulge their children by buying them a million trillion presents? What do the children give their parents? Perhaps a hug of gratitude. A hug of love. Why is it that children need so much more than a hug? Why are almost all the presents under the tree for them? There was a time in our lives that my husband and I did not have very much money. So, under the tree there were three small presents. One for my husband, one for me and one of about the same size for our three-year-old son. There was appreciation all the way around. I don’t remember what had been in those boxes, but we were all happy and the love we had for each other could not have been bought in a store…even if we had had money. Appreciation is the way to keep everything in perspective. A lot of people have a tendency to say, oh you shouldn’t have, or you didn’t need to do that, or I can do it myself… I don’t need your help. And yet when we do something for someone else, we expect them to be grateful. After I fell the other day, I needed help. Kevin, a complete stranger to me, helped me get up and then drove me home. I thanked him, and he drove away. I needed to go to Urgent Care because I had done damage to myself. I could not drive. My daughter-in-law took me. Then she followed the ambulance that took me to the hospital. My son came to the hospital a bit later. They love me and wanted to help. I said thank you. I did not say you shouldn’t have, or I am sorry to cause you this inconvenience. I just said thank you. I am paraphrasing here. I said thank you, it was the short form of what I was thinking. I was thinking thank you for loving me, thank you for caring and thank you so much for helping me. That is what love is all about. It is about saying thank you. For being grateful for and appreciating the most important people in your life. I have been unsteady for a while and this is the second time I have fallen. I am experiencing some problem of unknown origin. Together. Together we will deal with it. Together we will do whatever it takes to get through whatever we have to get through. Today I am the target of concern. Some other day one of the important people in my life might need me to be there for them. Love is a circle, a revolving door. Everyone’s life connects with everyone else’s. Isn’t life grand? In life sometimes even a total stranger, like Kevin, can come to help of some other total stranger. It is the way it must work. Don’t always be on the giving side of it. Open your heart and your arms to the taking side of life too. I am so happy. I have had a couple of days to digest the fact that something is going on with me. I did not expect it, but life happens. How grateful I am to have people who love me. How grateful I am to be able to say thank you. We all are riding high sometimes, and then maybe we face a difficult situation of one kind or another, and then miracles of miracles we start smiling again because we are loved, and we are not alone. We again remember in short order, we are happy. We always remember to say thank you. Wow.

Granny-o

December 10, 2021

Screw up. Boy did I screw up yesterday. Apparently, I have not mastered the art of listening yet. Yesterday I wrote a blog about being wobbly. I mentioned I would be getting a walker and an alert button to wear, so if I were out walking and fell, I could get help. I thought I was all on board. Well yesterday, at about 11:00 AM, I decided I wanted to go on a walk. It was sunny and had warmed up a bit. I put on my fur lined hooded jacket on top of two sweatshirts, and a long-sleeved tee shirt. I also had on a hat, and gloves. My son said to be careful, and my daughter-in-law said don’t walk until I have my walker and alert button in hand. I said I will be fine, and off I went. I got about a mile from home, and a silent voice said I better call my son and have him come and pick me up. Instead of calling him, I took a different road, that would get me back home sooner than if I had gone my usual route. I was feeling okay. I got almost to the end of that short road, when I fell flat on my face. No walker, no button and I Was face down on the sidewalk with no one else on the road. I took a while to get to a sitting position. A man came up the street, walking his dog. He asked if I were all right. I said, “I hope so”. I asked him to help me stand up. He tied his dog’s leash to a mailbox post and helped me up. He said I was bleeding. He offered take me home after he took his dog home and got his car. He said he only lived a couple of houses away. I appreciatively said thank you, and off he went. He drove me home. I guess I was bleeding from the front of my nose, and near the knuckle of my left hand. My hand looked bad. My daughter-in-law took me to urgent care. I got 6 stitches in my hand. It had been cut all the way through to the muscle. I also had a big goose egg bump on my head over my left eye, and my cheeks were swollen. The doctor said I should go to the emergency room since I had hit my head. When I tried to sit up, the pain in my left chest was excruciating, I could not sit up without major effort. An ambulance was called, because it would have been impossible for me to get to or into the minivan. At the hospital I got an x-ray for my hand, and a cat scan for my head down to past my chest. The results showed nothing was broken, and I could go home. It was now about 3:00 PM and my son and daughter-in-law were with me. They each had a car at the hospital. I rode home with my daughter-in-law in the minivan, and my son followed. By the time I got home the pain was almost unbearable. It is now the middle of the night, and I just took three Tylenol. I really did screw up. I was told not to walk but I decided to walk anyway. I was told to call my son for a ride home and I didn’t do it. I have to start listening to the warnings of my life. I have to hear. I thought I was not in danger of falling. I guess I was wrong. Boy did I screw up. It was an object lesson. Maybe next time I will listen. My spirit inside me was still happy. My body was having a rough time. It was a long day.

Granny-o

December 9, 2021

Wobbly. As you probably know from reading my Blogs, I like to walk. If it is not too freezing, or if the rain isn’t crazy, I will most likely walk four miles every day. Two in the morning and two later in the day. It doesn’t always happen, but I feel better when it does. Anyway, I have been a bit wobbly lately. It seems like my feet are sometimes misplaced, and I stumble more than I like. I even fell a week or so ago. No harm, no foul. I was able to jump up and continue on my way. Well, jumping up might have been a bit of a stretch. It was a bit harder than that for me. I do remember saying ow as my right arm hit the driveway I was walking across, but thankfully I was not hurt. My son convinced me to go and see someone in the medical field, to see what was going on with me. I had an appointment with my daughter-in-law’s nurse practitioner, and yesterday I went to physical therapy for the first time. The physical therapist noticed a problem and decided I needed more exercises than just walking, so I could strengthen my legs. To make a long story short, I will be getting a walker from Amazon, and I have appointments at physical therapy twice a week until at least the end of January. I am also getting an emergency alert button to wear. If I were to fall, I could get help. Okay. First of all, as I have said, I like being old. I would rather not break any bones or get hurt, so I am happy with anything anyone can do for me to keep me vertical. I am a smart person and I like to be happy. I want to increase my odds against difficulties occurring in my life. I also have an appointment with a neurologist on February 16, 2022. Again, I will do whatever I have to do to maintain my quality of life and to stay happy. I am so blessed to have options. I think of it this way… when I cross a road, I look both ways to make sure a car isn’t going to run me over. I do not close my eyes before I step off a curb. I try to protect myself. I don’t know, but maybe I will put a horn on my walker to warn people I am coming towards them. Beep beep…old person on the loose. The advice I have to give anyone, is to be careful and to be smart. Sometimes it is hard to fix something if you break it. Breaking myself might not be good for my future, and you could mess your future up too if you are not careful. You always need to be aware of your surroundings. No matter what your age, it would be a good idea not to be wobbly. Do what you have to do. Be well, and stay happy. I think it would be a good idea if you did. Bye for now.

Granny-o

December 7, 2021

Stretch. Stretch your mind to entertain the idea that there is so much more to life, than what you know. People gladly stretch, if they are runners, before heading out on the streets of your town. People know the consequences of running without first stretching. Stretching of the mind is another animal all together. People are creatures of habit, and often they not only don’t stretch their minds, they also don’t usually even try to get out of the routine of their daily lives. No need to change, my life is just fine the way it is. Really? Is that the way we are going to play this thing? If you happen to go to Russia, and Russian people happen to see the major difference between their culture and the culture of the United States, would they be interested in changing their way of life? Probably not. They know what they know, and they think their life is fine the way it is. Okay. Everyone can make their own determinations as to how they want to live, but you don’t often hear an American say he wants to become a Russian. Maybe every country has been brainwashed to think their country is the best country, but you must admit Americans can see more of the big picture than the Russians. Americans are still, at the same time, very limited at what they can see. Maybe Americans see more than the Russian people, but they never see all there is to see. Think about God. God is here, there and everywhere. He is beyond everything, and He has 20/20 vision… figuratively speaking. Thinking about God would stretch your mind. We all have our own interpretation about God. Believers sometimes talk to other believers about their faith, but everyone decides for themselves what to believe and how to have their beliefs impact their lives. Nonbelievers turn a tin ear to the reality of God. The truth is what the truth will be. God does not need me, you or anyone else to make Him real. God does not need us, we need God. Stretch your mind. I find, for me, believing is so much easier than not believing. I find believing in God, miracles, and happily ever after creates great happiness in my life. Pretty much I get up happy, live happy, and then go to bed happy. What is wrong with that? I love my life. I am appreciative for what I have and am grateful I have it. My life is a wow. I have stretched my mind, and whole heartedly believe in God. I know my life is a gift, and I know living my life with a smile on my face and joy in my heart makes love and happiness a part of my life. It is almost Christmas. Children are getting excited, parents are getting stressed, and so many people are running here and there preparing for the big event. Stretch your mind. See beyond the decorating, the buying, the wrapping, and the cooking. Stretch your mind to somewhere in your busy day to think about God, Jesus as God humanized, and the holy spirit…a bit of God living inside of each one of us. Say wow. We all have every reason to be happy. Enjoy the moment.

Granny-o

December 5, 2021

Caring and sharing. Caring and sharing makes everyone involved happier. Sharing is good, but caring about the person you are sharing with is even more important. When small children get together, they might be sharing a sandbox in the park with each other. That is a good thing. But small children are alone in a sandbox, even if they are not alone. Small children have not learned to care about other children yet. Most likely small children will not share their toys either. Some adults, have a problem sharing and caring. For instance, put three family members into a kitchen working together to get a meal ready. In this particular kitchen, everyone is sharing the kitchen, but which of them is caring about the other two in the room? Everyone is engrossed in their own activity. and like the small children in the sandbox, they are not caring or sharing with one another. In another kitchen, there is talking and laughter going on while the preparations are being done. Three people there are communicating with each other as they work. Which kitchen would you rather be in? In any place where there is more than one person, caring is very important. Sharing is a good idea, but caring is the glue of happiness. Sometimes men will get together. They are usually talking about sports, cars, work or family. Do you notice where family comes into the conversation. Sometimes men will even talk about medical problems, their doctors and the procedures they have had before they talk about family. Women get together, and they are usually talking about family, friends, their homes and perhaps their jobs. Notice where family comes into their conversation? Women are more likely to open up to other women. Men are the protectors, the providers, and the warriors. Men usually do not talk about a lot of personal things with other men. Women are more likely to open up to other women. They care about each other, each other’s struggles and each other’s wellbeing. Happiness, even among women is not usually a topic of conversation. Women will talk about being sad and will share confidences about their sadnesses, but happiness is not usually brought up. People do not talk about happiness. Life is so much better when people care about each other. Being alone when you are lonely is not any fun. Share yourself and your life with others. Care about others in such a way that you look forward to seeing each other. When you say another person’s name, you should smile. If you know someone’s name, then you are connected. Get to know the person. Care about them and share time with them. Know your day will be better if you can connect with them. Know that people who care about others are happier than those who do not. Today as you share space with others, care about them. Enjoy them. Each of you will be better off if you do. Have a most wonderful day. Be happy. I have made happiness a priority. Give it a try.

Granny-o

December 4, 2021

Myopia. What is myopia you ask? It is a problem we as humans all have. Another word for myopia is nearsightedness. But I went to the eye doctor, you might say, and he said I was farsighted. So, you cannot say everyone is nearsighted. First of all, you have to define far. If you are talking about seeing a tree clearly in your neighbor’s front yard down your street, then you are far sighted. If that is far. I am talking about seeing the big picture. So big, you can’t even measure the distance. For instance, can you see Heaven? Has any living person ever seen Heaven? Even with the greatest of telescopes, humans have myopia. Where is Heaven? No one knows for sure, because Heaven has never been seen. Since living humans cannot see Heaven, then I can say all humans are nearsighted. Humans can see stars millions of miles away on a clear night, but where is Heaven? When you think of the big picture, it puts everything into perspective. How limited we all are. The wise know they are dumb, because they know there is so much they do not know. We live in a bubble of ignorance. Wow is my favorite word. I am but a grain of sand in a great desert. I say wow often because looking out at the world, I am amazed over and over again. Happy? I sure am happy. Afterall what does a grain of sand have to worry about in a great desert? Get a grip. Even the biggest problems we have to face are small in comparison to the big picture. Be happy. Sooner or later God will take our blinders off, and we will all be saying wow all of the time. Every minute of every day will be another wow moment when we can really see. Then we will know how happy we should have been today and every day. It is 6:13 AM. My face just smiled thinking of all there is to be happy about. Wow. This is going to be a great day. Make your day great too.

Granny-o