My grandfather has shared all sorts of wisdom with me over the years.  Here are a few things I’ve learned from my grandfather.

Surround yourself with beautiful things.  My grandfather had the most beautiful garden I’ve ever seen.  He had tons of rose bushes, a nice vegetable garden, and all sorts of other plants that I was too young to know the names for.  He did all the gardening himself, too — my grandfather was an expert gardener.  He knew all about rosebush care, orchid flower care, and vegetable care.  If you ever needed to know about phalaenopsis orchid care, he would be the one to ask.  And if you asked him about something really obscure, such as cymbidium care, he’d probably be one of the few people who wouldn’t look at you like you were crazy.

Always have a sense of humor.  When my mom was growing up, my grandfather often tended their neighbor’s garden for them, too.  One year, something really tall started growing in, so the neighbor asked my grandfather what it was.  "Corn," my grandfather replied.  "But I didn’t plant corn," the neighbor protested.  "Well, I ran out of room in my garden!" my grandfather said.

Always be the best at whatever you choose. When my grandfather was little, his father used to tell him, "I don’t care if you’re just a shoe-shine boy, you’re going to be the best shoe-shine boy there ever was."  My grandfather didn’t become a shoe-shine boy, but he did become one of the most feared and respected lawyers in his city.

There is a lot we can learn from our elders if we’re willing to listen!

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