Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Walk In My Shoes........


I decided to get back to posting on my Blog after taking a couple of months reprieve. I just could not find the will to write after I lost my dad earlier this year. Having Henry live with us for the last few years of his life was a blessing that God allowed me and my wife to share in. I started this Blog for one specific reason, and that was to bestow honor on my mother and to share some stories about what she had experienced, the way she approached her life and the never ending love she had for her family. Tonight I write about her manner of dealing with her sense of intelligence.
I have come to learn much about my mom since her death, it's strange how memories and understanding can open entire new views on a person. Nonna was very smart, I will say much smarter than most of us, but she understood that she had to attach kindness when dealing with others. Perhaps she was just gifted at an early age, after all, she could read and write in five languages by the time she was nine years old. It could have been genetic or the fact that her parents went out of their way to educate her, either way, she had many gifts. Once I had gotten older and realized a little about my mom, I began to see the fact that she was one smart lady. One thing that I can say, is that she never made other people feel "dumber" than her, even when it was apparent. She was special that way and as I remember her words of encouragement and promise, along with just listening to what someone had to say, I often wonder what she may have been thinking. How did she always find a way to make you feel important and cared for?
I can think of few exceptions to this principle that she lived by. As she had seen so much in her life and dealt with many situations, you had better not mess with her loved ones! During the last years of her life, she was very sick, and I witnessed her will to survive really kick in. She was in the Hospital and was being treated by numerous Doctors, one of the nice gents decided to have a Phycologist stop by and evaluate her. Not only was she hurt by this thought, she got angry, one of the only times I have seen her get this way. Pity the poor soul, because she started playing mind games with him, and let it drag out for a few days. I witnessed his visit on one occasion and actually was sorry for him. She finally must have tired of this and let him off of the hook, explaining that she was not mentally challenged, just in severe pain. He left, never to come back, and she looked at me with a smile and said, I bet I won't see him again! I had to laugh a little as mom settled back into her bed.
My mother showed me that the most intelligent people on earth are the ones who don't have to try and prove it, and that, my friend, is a very valuable lesson to remember!
Love John