Grandma Miller’s Wisdom

When I was growing up in Rush County, Indiana, our family spent plenty of time with my Grandma Miller – Sylvia B Walker Miller, 1892-1986. She and Grandpa lived in a tiny town called New Salem. It’s the “don’t blink or you’ll miss it” sort of place right on what was then the very busy highway 52. You didn’t dare stand too close to the road for fear of the being blown over from the wind created by the semis flying past!

I don’t recall ever being told to stay away from the road; but, then, I guess the grown-ups figured the kids were at least that smart. Of course, these are the same adults who encouraged our use of firecrackers, sparklers and such on the 4^th of July. My how times have changed!!

Grandma hadn’t had an easy life and living with Grandpa, I’m sure, wasn’t a barrel of laughs. From my perspective he was pretty ornery to say the least. Perhaps he was part of the reason for her temperament after all. They do say tribulation breeds patience.

To this day, I have never met anyone with a sweeter disposition than Grandma. I’ve met some very nice people in my day but none can hold a candle to her. I can’t recall her ever raising her voice or even seeming annoyed. I never heard her say a bad word about anyone and I can remember my mother telling me the same thing. Grandma must have had a special gift to see the best in everyone. No matter what awful things were reported to her about someone her response would be: “Oh, I know, but he/she has a good heart.”

That was Grandma’s wisdom. She found happiness in looking for the good and, as much as possible, dismissing the bad in others. To the end, she was able to face life with her sweet, sweet smile and a twinkle in her eyes.