"Encouragement"

     Did you ever have one of those moments . . . hours . . . days . . . years . . . lifetimes (just joking), when nothing seemed to go right?  Well last week was full of those times for myself.  Thinking of two of these particular instances brings a smile to my face.

     One was this past Wednesday.  My husband wanted soup heated for his dinner.  Easy enough . . . well, maybe until you hold the spoon over the bowl and pour the soup onto the spoon rather than the bowl.  Really though, it creates quite a spectacular fountain effect as soup splashes into the bowl - and onto the countertop - and all over the floor.  Being quite upset with myself I loudly and angrily proclaimed, "Watson, you're an idiot!!!"  Sitting at the table was my 9 year old grandson, Andrew.  Andrew calmly and quietly says, "Grandma, you are not an idiot."

     "Yes, Andrew, I am an idiot."  I replied.

     Turning to his grandpap, "Pap, Grandma is not an idiot."

      After a few seconds pass Andrew, dead serious tone and expression, says, "Grandma, even if you were an idiot I'd still love you."

     A couple of days later I was once again in the kitchen preparing a crockpot stew.  As I held the chicken broth can in a pouring position I did not realize the broth was not entering the crock until I felt a wetness seeping into my running shoe and through my socks.  Having previously been instructed that I was not an idiot I chose another phrase.  "Watson, you can't do anything right!"

     "Yes you can Grandma," came that small, calm voice from the living room.

     "No I can't!"

     Entering the room Andrew says, "Okay Grandma, even if you can't do anything right in the kitchen I know something you're good at.  You want to know what it is?  Every minute you do this really good."

     "Okay, what is it?"

     "Being a good grandma."

      Well, I don't know if I totally agreed with him, but man did those words make my day!  Are not encouraging words great?  Can't they turn your day around?  Make it a point this week to liberally hand out words of encouragement to those around you.

-J. Watson

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