Thursday, August 6, 2009

The Lesson



When my dad was a kid, they didn't have any money. Raised dirt poor, they often had to rely on themselves to add to the family dinner table. They caught fish from the stream, hunted for wild pear trees and saved everything they could. My dad would shave the old neighbor man, Mr. Glasgow with a straight razor just to make a few pennies.

One afternoon, my grandfather gathered all nine of the kids together in the tiny house they lived in.

"Go out into the yard, find two sticks and come back."

They all ran out into the yard, eager to find props to play a game.

"Try to break one of those sticks."

They were all strong kids. Everyone snapped their sticks right in two.

"Now, put them all together. All nine sticks. Try to break that!"

The kids passed around the bundle. You can't do it, can ya?"

"You'll always be so much stronger if you stick together. No one can ever break your bond."

I love my family. We all still stick together. We always will.

19 comments:

Christo Gonzales said...

classic lesson - but a good one - I want to hunt for wild pear trees!

Grant said...

I keep hoping that I'll hear that one of my parents has died and left me some of their money which would be the nicest thing they ever did for me since it would help me to get out of medical debt. I'm much happier now that I no longer have a single relative still in my life. But this was still a nice story. Post pictures of hot Asian women next.

Gary's third pottery blog said...

Thanks RLL!

Anonymous said...

my mother has always said something similar about my little family. i am an only child and she never fails to remind me that even though i am an adult now, and i am making my own family, the three of us can do and achieve anything together.

i love my family.

thank you for sharing this!

jb said...

i love the title of your blog and your description of yourself awesome. If you got time come over and visit my blog I know your going to like it. I found you on ANNA Lefler's blog who's gone swedish on me.

Peace
JB

Vinny "Bond" Marini said...

That is a wonderful wonderful lesson your granddad taught his kids...

SkylersDad said...

That is a nice story!

My grandpa told one that always stuck with me:
Chris, marry a women with small hands, it will make your dick look bigger.

I miss those little chats with gramps...

Anonymous said...

Great story and lesson!

Sally Neill said...

beautiful story xxx

Brad said...

What a great story, grandfather and tree!

Evil Twin's Wife said...

What a sweet story and memory. Thanks for sharing it!

Anonymous said...

excellent story.

Lu' said...

I thought he was going somewhere along the lines of having two sticks to rub together...

lynette355 said...

fantastic lesson
i always wanted to be a stick
at least to be a stick in someones side. ha ha

Akelamalu said...

What a great story and a great lesson for the kids.

Scarlet said...

I love that! I'm glad I went one back and read this post. Cool! :)

C said...

that is just so profound. he sounds like such a wise man. grandparents usually are cuz they lived too long to give a shit and learned life lessons the hard way..

wish i had had grandparents. and sometimes, being that poor is what holds you all together so close... and the things you DO have in poverty mean so much becaause there isnt much of it.


yep. very very wise i must say!


c

nitebyrd said...

My family is a bunch of nuts. Tough to crack.

Dana said...

This is the family I always hoped to have, but didn't until I made it myself with my son.