|
|
Most, if not all, of you have heard the saying “When life hands you lemons, make lemonade.” My grandfather taught me a similar lesson when I was five years old. Grandpa ran the family with an “iron” fist, including my father, and this was no small feat! My father was a man who when driving could make red lights change with the snap of his fingers, he named all of the stars in the sky, and he always knew when I was lying. If Grandpa could make my dad do things then he must be powerful indeed! One day my grandfather took a jar out of the cabinet, opened it up, and popped something into his mouth. ‘What’s in there Grandpa?” I asked. “Are they good? Can I have one?” I asked. He looked at me and then he started to smile. My mother said “Those are mostly for grown-ups.” I caught the word “mostly” though, and looked again over at my grandfather. Even though I didn’t know the word omnipotent at the time, I knew he was the definition of it! He was still smiling and he held the jar out to me. I felt very privileged. I took one just as my grandpa had, popped it into my mouth, and started to chew. Can you spell jalepeno? Yes, my grandfather’s idea of a treat was extra hot jalepeno peppers. My throat started to burn, and my eyes started to tear. My grandfather was still smiling. I realized in that instant that he wasn’t smiling because he was happy, or because he was proud of me. He was smiling because he “expected” me to not be able to eat the pepper. I swallowed and summoned every ounce of five year old pride that I could muster. I said “Thanks Grandpa, that was good!” and I smiled back at him. Of course I was biting down on my tongue to keep the flames from coming out of my mouth, but I kept smiling.
|
