perspective

at work this week, a routine business call turned into so much more!  not only did the customer pick up the phone, but offered amazing perspective and wisdom from her 87 years.

as someone born in 1933 one of the first things she told me is that she doesn't spend a single moment worrying about things she can't control.  i could hear the television on in the background, perhaps for company, as her family is busy and most of her friends are no longer living.

but what spunk, what alertness, what humor!  she told me stories of collecting tin for the war effort, of losing cousins and community members to battle, of how she would cut chewing gum into tiny pieces in order to make it last.

she told me she even remembered where she was and what she was doing when she first heard the news about the bombing of pearl harbor.  she was making toast.  on the kind of toaster where you still had to flip the bread yourself.  

and her stories found an eager, sacred home with me.  

we would have talked even longer, but she was off to pick up dinner at her favorite local restaurant for taco tuesday!  mental note made to be like her when i grow up!

"you made my day!" she exclaimed, as we were wrapping up. 

"oh, you made mine!" i responded.  

when tempted to worry or fixate on things over which we have no control, i remember her wise words and the new song "sparrows" by cory asbury that happened to come on the radio the same day:  you take good care of me