Monday, December 9, 2013

Motivational Monday


WORRY IS LIKE A ROCKING CHAIR:
IT GIVES YOU SOMETHING TO DO
BUT NEVER GETS YOU ANYWHERE
(Erma Bombeck)

There are two reasons this quote makes me think of my maternal grandmother: the rocking chair and the worrying.

She and my grandfather each had a rocking chair, angled so my grandparents could see out the front windows to the stoop and the sidewalk. If I close my eyes, I can see their living room - my grandfather's bookshelf, family photos, various religious pieces, a mug of tea with at least one tea bag string hanging over the rim.  

I also remember how my grandmother worried. She was terrified of lightning. She didn't like driving with certain people (although she always felt safe driving with my Dad.) She would flick drops of holy water around her bedroom, approximating the directions where all of her children and grandchildren lived, in an effort to keep us all safe.

So, while I mostly agree with Ms. Bombeck's quote, I think a certain kind of worrying can get you somewhere…to that place where you feel a sense of peace, a sense that maybe you're protecting the people you care about in some small way. 

Toward the end of her life, my grandmother still sat in her rocking chair, now across from my grandfather's empty one, and she continued her praying, her caring, her loving. And her worrying. 

This week, let's not beat ourselves up for worrying too much. Let's just try to redirect it in a more positive, productive way.

24 comments:

  1. My mother does this, God lover her. She worries about anything and everything. But I know it's not something she can really help. I almost think there's a worrying gene lol

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    1. Oh, I absolutely think there's a "worry gene" and I'm pretty sure I've inherited it. :)

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  2. We can take worry and channel it into something positive.
    Nice memory of your grandmother.

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  3. I'm also a worrier, and all my life I've been told to stop worrying so much. It's hard; I feel like it's simply my nature. So thank you for this post. I'm not going to beat myself up for worrying today. :)

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    1. I hear you! I think a little worrying is fine. It's when it takes over your life or becomes an impediment to daily living that there might be a problem.

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  4. Good point. I'm a worrier and honestly never thought about a way think of it positively. Thanks for this!

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  5. Great post. My husband's a worrier, whereas I really am not. Makes for some eye-rolling! Life's too short for worrying about small things - and to be honest worrying about the big things won't change the outcome, but it's hard not to I guess!

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    1. That's funny because it's the women in my life who are the worriers more so than the men. But you're right about worrying not really changing the outcome of things so that's what I try to focus on when it gets too bad.

      Thanks for Following us here at TSR! :)

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  6. Love this quote, and the post which accompanies it.

    I'm a definite worrier. And then I worry about worrying. It's a vicious circle some days.

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    1. Thanks, MJ. And I know what you mean about worrying about worrying.

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  7. I think the Holy water thing is a good idea - can I order that stuff online?

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    1. Hmm, I don't know. My grandmother just always seemed to have some on hand.

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    2. I think it depends on your faith tradition. My pastor told me once that if a believer prayed over the water, it became holy. However, I know that in some traditions only a pastor or priest can do that. And then, some holy water comes from the Jordan river . . .

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    3. I'm pretty sure she got hers from church. We also sent her water from when we visited the Fountain of Youth in St. Augustine. :)

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  8. I understand your grandmother. I really didn't know what it meant to worry until I had children of my own. It's an entire other level of concern.

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  9. Oh my gosh, that is so true! I'm really working on this. On not wasting my energy and focusing instead on being positive. Man, it's hard!

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    1. It really is hard, Emily, but I think it's worth it. At least I hope it is! :)

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  10. Worrying followed by prayer definitely brings peace, and if it's done in a rocking chair . . .well, that picture you created sounds soothing. Thank you for sharing. As I read this, I thought of my grandparents home. They didn't have rocking chairs, but they would sit across from each other at their kitchen table and play solitaire, and I can still hear the sound of their cards on the table. I know that playing solitaire across from each other doesn't sound like a very companionable thing to do, but it was for them. Besides, my grandfather was a bit of a card shark (cheat), so he either played solitaire or he acted as the dealer and judge of others' card games. :) He enjoyed watching others play, and he didn't want to give into the temptation to cheat - with solitaire, he knew, he would only be cheating himself. And now, I have a post . . .
    Anyway, your post was wonderful today - gave me some ideas! :)

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    1. Thank you! And I love the image of your grandparents playing solitaire - separately yet together. :)

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  11. The older I get, the more I worry and becoming a mom has only made it worse. I try not to worry about the little things but it's not always easy. I think worrying can be toxic if you don't do anything about it. Your Grandmother had her rituals that helped her get past the worry, what a beautiful example. Loved this post. (:

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    1. Thank you, Elise! And I agree that worrying can become toxic if we're not careful.

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