What I Learned From My Grandparents

Get up early ~ the early bird gets the worm ~ till a garden ~ don't stay up too late ~ don't watch too much television ~ make biscuits from scratch ~ memorize a favorite hymn ~ pray ~ be thankful ~ there's always someone who is worse off than you ~ sit on the front porch ~ say howdy to your neighbor ~ make do with what you have ~ treat others with respect and kindness ~ obey your elders ~ eat everything on your plate ~ there are poor, starving children out there~ learn from the mistakes of others and don't repeat them ~ straighten up ~ the world doesn't owe you anything ~ do your homework ~ help your mother ~ listen to your father ~ watch your tongue ~ hard work never hurt anyone ~ a good name is all a man has ~ nothing is free ~ you have to work for what you want ~ don't make excuses ~ choose your friends wisely ~ think before you act ~ don't talk back ~ say Yes, Ma'am and No, Ma'am ~ say Yes, Sir and No, Sir ~ go outside and play ~ watch out for your brothers and sisters ~ believe in God ~ watch out for the devil

I also learned that standing in front of a hot fireplace in a house without central heat could warm your bones like nothing else could. ~ And that even when the pantry was almost bare, Grandma could knead a little flour and lard and soon those flaky biscuits would melt in your mouth. ~ I learned that even though she didn't have much, there was a warmth and coziness about my Grandmother's house that I still remember after all these years. ~ And I learned that people didn't have to lock their front door and friends and family could simply walk right in and make themselves at home. ~ I learned that people could be happy with simple things, like having family around the dinner table, and happiness was not found in material things. ~ And  I learned that neighbors still talked to one another when walking down the street and having a phone was a luxury, not a necessity. ~ I learned that children were still treated as children and adults hushed their voices when little ones were around. ~ And I learned that the world moves too fast and you have to slow down sometimes and listen to those around you because you might just learn something.