A friend of mine wrote recently, and said, “‘It’s a great life, if you don’t weaken,’ as my grandmother used to say.” The images that conjured up were somewhat terrifying, but it reminded me of my own grandmother, who was definitely a low-comfort woman. If you complained about–anything, she’d say, “From the day of your birth, ’til you ride in a hearse, there’s nothing so bad that it couldn’t be worse.” My mother remembered a day in childhood when she ran inside, crying to my grandmother, “Nobody loves me and my hands are cold,” and my grandmother said mordantly, “God loves you and you can sit on your hands.” A hug and an “I love you” might have been a wee bit more helpful…
Another friend’s grandmother had more sensible advice. She used to say, “Never trust a poseur.”
So–here’s your chance–what words to live by did your grandmother comfort or terrify you with?