Top 6 Lessons from my Grandma

1. Forget the wrinkle cream – go for Radiance.

My Grandma was BEAUTIFUL. Lots of people said so. It wasn’t because she was wrinkle free or had lustrous hair or because she ever stepped foot in a gym. She had a radiance that transcended the physical and came from years of working out her inner self. She had an undeniable light that radiated from her and around her.

2. You have enough to be happy right now.

I loved to visit with Grandma in her quiet apartment. One day she sat in her chair, in her 90s, with a blanket draped over her legs. She had developed severe, unrelenting neck pain. She wasn’t one to complain, but when asked directly about it she said, “Yes. It’s still there. I do hurt…but right now in this moment I have everything I need…to have a good day.”

3. Trust they will figure it out.

I was unhappy in my job for years. As I listed everything about it I didn’t like she kept asking me what I WANTED. Again and again (I see now) she attempted to redirect my efforts from fruitlessly focusing on the negative to looking toward the positive. I remember the exact moment she dropped it, looked directly into my eyes and said with conviction, “I know you’ll figure it out”. I had given her no reason to believe that, but she did. And, eventually, I did too.

4. It’s never too late.

Grandma was ahead of her time. She occasionally broke the rules and often took her own road. She was open to new ideas, new ways of thinking and of being. She kept growing and changing and learning. She had the courage to let herself fall madly in love in her 80s. She and Dan had a glorious, spectacular romance and marriage. That relationship was an inspiration to everyone lucky enough to be around them.

5. Be still and Listen

Grandma had a lot of interesting things to say if you were willing to wait through the pauses and let her find her words. She made a practice studying inspirational readings each morning and then sitting still and listening. It was through her that the most influential teachers and books came into my life. These teachings woke up my heart and mind and taught me to sit still…every day…and Listen.

6. You are the author of your story.

I grew up 3,000 miles away from Grandma and our relationship evolved mostly through letters. At age 35 I was finally living nearby and appreciating our face-to-face talks. During one of them she announced that she was at peace with the idea of dying soon and I panicked, “NO! Grandma! I just got here. We haven’t had enough time!” She let me go on for a while and then slowly said, “What if we decided we’ve had the perfect amount of time?”

We can do that. We can decide there is nothing to resist; nothing to regret; nothing to push against. We can decide we’ve had the perfect amount of time.

Marjorie Seelye
May 1921- September 2015