Out of the mouths of grandmas

You've heard of the saying, "Out of the mouths of babes" when applied to small children having words of wisdom. I think there should also be a saying "Out of the mouths of grandmas." Mom always has the "perfect" perspective on things. Sometimes I think, like children, they cut through the fluff and get straight to the chase.

Just recently I was cleaning my house frantically for a birthday Open House for my mother's 90th birthday. There were a group of church ladies that were coming that afternoon and I wanted to be sure that the house looked "perfect" for them. I also knew that another artist friend of hers was going to be dropping by with her son. I got the house pretty much the way I wanted it by the time her "artist" friend arrived. We had a nice 2 and a half hour visit and they left. After a short lunch, mom lay down for a nap. One of the church ladies then called and said they were going to be post-poned to the following day. I said that would be fine.

Well, I have a teenager too, and the teens decended on my house that evening and the following day. By the time the church ladies got here my house was a wreck! There were dirty dishes that had to be washed, spoons also. I hadn't even had time to myself get cleaned up! The first thing that they noticed when they arrived was I was in my bare feet. I laughed it off and said, "at least I'm not barefoot and pregnant!" Since I was unmarried, they did not think that funny. Then we came into the kitchen and sat down for cake and ice cream. The conversation slowly turned to my love life (which is a soap opra at times) and a few deragotory comments were made about that. Yet, I perserved.

Mom took all this is stride and we escorted the ladies out after a nice hour and a half visit. After the dust had settled from their visit, I said this, "Ya know, the lady and her son that probably didn't care whether the house was clean or not got to see my house clean. The ladies that 'expected' a clean house, did not get to see my house that way." Mom responded by saying this, about that: "maybe that is exactly the way it was supposed to be." Wow! Mom sometimes just hits the nail right on the head!