Grandma Fannie reflects on 2020
As we near the end of 2020 and I am settling into the state where I spent many hours of my childhood with Grandma Fannie. I found myself wondering what Grandma Fannie would have to say. In the world of my mind, I clearly heard her saying: “Pretty is as pretty does.”
That is all she had to say and, I suppose, that simple phrase sums up the core lesson of most wise teachers. Another teacher might say: “ I trust those who walk the talk.”
Grandma Fannie’s point was that she did not care what the minister, the politician, or her grandchildren said. She cared a lot if you did what you said you were going to do. If one’s task was to hoe the garden, pick or dig the offspring of the garden, collect the eggs and feed the chickens, write letters, pray or read she expected one to do it. Talking about it did not get the job done.
I think Grandma would love the internet, email and other ways to gather information and to communicate with each other. On the other hand, I do not she would be impressed with the chatter of many of us on social media or on the phone. She might note that we have a lot to say about injustice, equality, non-violence, becoming more spiritual and a host of other righteous topics. She might also note that those who seem to verbally pontificate the most have little time or energy to practice what they preach.
Additionally, she might note that very few preachers who can go on and on about social justice show up when it is time to do the work of social justice. They may hold up the golden chalice, repeat the words of Jesus or some other wise teacher and then remove their golden robes and hurry home in their expensive chariot with a stop on the way to make a bank deposit.
Grandma Fannie might note that those who cite the second amendment of the Constitution of the United States are often the quickest to suggest that the person who had stumbled and fallen along the roadside crawl to their homeless camp until they learn to not be so lazy and to quit littering the road to their business.
If Grandma Fannie was looking over my shoulder as I typed this she might also ask. “Excuse me child. Have you removed the beam out of your own eye?”
Grandma Fannie was quick to acknowledge that we are on a journey and we not going to reach the destination of perfection in this life journey. At the same time, she expected that one do all one can to be “Pretty is as pretty does.”
She might suggest that we end this with much praise for fact that most of us have taken care of each other during the epidemic. At the same time, she would suggest that we move beyond tolerance to embracing each other; that we quit acting as if philanthropy often (not always) occurs on the backs of the 99%; that we quit acting as if keeping an existing job is more important than leaving a planet for our grandchildren; that we stop pretending that nice words and “good deeds” comfort the child or friend who is hurting.
Grandma Fannie is clearly saying: “You did well in surviving 2020, but it is time to quit questioning or judging the worth of the stranger and set another place at the table (socially distant of course).
Written December 29, 2020
Jimmy F Pickett, LPC, AADC
coachpickett.org
As we near the end of 2020 and I am settling into the state where I spent many hours of my childhood with Grandma Fannie. I found myself wondering what Grandma Fannie would have to say. In the world of my mind, I clearly heard her saying: “Pretty is as pretty does.”
That is all she had to say and, I suppose, that simple phrase sums up the core lesson of most wise teachers. Another teacher might say: “ I trust those who walk the talk.”
Grandma Fannie’s point was that she did not care what the minister, the politician, or her grandchildren said. She cared a lot if you did what you said you were going to do. If one’s task was to hoe the garden, pick or dig the offspring of the garden, collect the eggs and feed the chickens, write letters, pray or read she expected one to do it. Talking about it did not get the job done.
I think Grandma would love the internet, email and other ways to gather information and to communicate with each other. On the other hand, I do not she would be impressed with the chatter of many of us on social media or on the phone. She might note that we have a lot to say about injustice, equality, non-violence, becoming more spiritual and a host of other righteous topics. She might also note that those who seem to verbally pontificate the most have little time or energy to practice what they preach.
Additionally, she might note that very few preachers who can go on and on about social justice show up when it is time to do the work of social justice. They may hold up the golden chalice, repeat the words of Jesus or some other wise teacher and then remove their golden robes and hurry home in their expensive chariot with a stop on the way to make a bank deposit.
Grandma Fannie might note that those who cite the second amendment of the Constitution of the United States are often the quickest to suggest that the person who had stumbled and fallen along the roadside crawl to their homeless camp until they learn to not be so lazy and to quit littering the road to their business.
If Grandma Fannie was looking over my shoulder as I typed this she might also ask. “Excuse me child. Have you removed the beam out of your own eye?”
Grandma Fannie was quick to acknowledge that we are on a journey and we not going to reach the destination of perfection in this life journey. At the same time, she expected that one do all one can to be “Pretty is as pretty does.”
She might suggest that we end this with much praise for fact that most of us have taken care of each other during the epidemic. At the same time, she would suggest that we move beyond tolerance to embracing each other; that we quit acting as if philanthropy often (not always) occurs on the backs of the 99%; that we quit acting as if keeping an existing job is more important than leaving a planet for our grandchildren; that we stop pretending that nice words and “good deeds” comfort the child or friend who is hurting.
Grandma Fannie is clearly saying: “You did well in surviving 2020, but it is time to quit questioning or judging the worth of the stranger and set another place at the table (socially distant of course).
Written December 29, 2020
Jimmy F Pickett, LPC, AADC
coachpickett.org
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