Smiles

I attended a church class last week where the women got together and discussed a talk from a recent conference.

The subject was family love.

One of my friends made this statement:

SMILE.

 It is difficult to speak in an angry tone

 with a smile on your face.

How true.

Grandma's Gentle Words

I am a lucky girl.  Both of my grandmothers lived until just a few years ago, when I was well into my adult years.

They both taught me many great things to remember and guide my life.

One item of business that I often have time to reflect on is:

THERE IS NO ROOM IN A HAPPY LIFE FOR JEALOUSLY

I have found that if I start feeling a bit under appreciated or achieved, a good dose of good deeds for others cures that ill feeling.  When the green monster of jealousy rears it's head in relationships it usually comes out in unkind words and actions.  When you are feeling attacked from nowhere it is usually because the attacker is feeling jealous.  I find it best to try not to be that person.

Another of my grandmother's wise words were these:

THERE IS NO ROOM FOR HURT FEELINGS IN A HAPPY LIFE

Sometimes it is best to resolve a matter by talking about the issue with the person who has offended you.  But, sometimes you just have to walk away and let time work it's magic.  It may be best to just lay low for a while. Then, when circumstances bring both of you together, go forward without looking back and dredging up old issues.  The two of you may always disagree, but a relationship on some level is better than none at all.  Remember TIME is your friend in this matter. Give it some time.

As our world swirls with commotion friend will be pitted against friend and families will be torn apart on issues that seem and are innocent at the start.  We live in perilous times.

Grandma also taught:

BE KIND IN ALL YOU DO

SMILE

REMEMBER TO PRAY

YOU ARE SPECIAL TO ME

I am thankful for my wise grandmothers who helped me see the world from their point of view, after years of experiences they could see the good and look past the rough.

A smile makes a world of difference.  Kind words build bridges.  Time heals open wounds.  Prayer mends a broken heart.

Honor

This post is by Grandpa:

On a business trip to the west coast this week, I had a very special experience I would like to share.

When I got to the airport, I noticed a military honor guard. These days, that generally means a fallen serviceman. Unfortunately, this was no exception.

The casket flew with us to Dallas along with two members of the guard; one from the Army and the other from the Marine Corp. When we landed in Dallas, the pilot got on the intercom and told us that we had the privilege of carrying a fallen serviceman. He asked that we wait to get off the plane until the two guardsmen could get off the plane to attend to the casket. He then asked those who did not have tight connections to wait until casket had been removed before deplaning.

The flight was full but not one person left the plane.

We all stood and watched reverently through the windows as a guard team removed the casket from the plane. It was loaded onto a special baggage cart that had a flag and service emblems painted on the outside and was painted white on the inside.

We all watched in silence. Businessmen muted their phones. The only sound was a mother quietly explaining to her young son what was going on.

Once the casket was loaded the curtains were drawn and the cart pulled away,

We all deplaned pretty much in silence. There were several red eyes including the pilot's and mine. It was a solemn reminder that all politics aside, there are young men and women willing to sacrifice their lives to keep us safe.

Thank you to all of them