A Matter of Perspective

 

 As I was leaving church Sunday, I was stopped by a 90-something lady. She took my hand and said, "I was watching you bounce up the aisle this morning and thinking how I wished I was young again!"  And I thought,"YOUNG? I am almost 70 years old!" I am glad she thought I still had a little bounce in my step -- and I was thinking about that as I trudged around the track on my morning walk.  Notice I said TRUDGE -- because unlike church, exercise is a chore and most mornings I don't have much spring in my steps unless I listen to music that gets my mind off what I am doing.
    I've been working on researching my ancestors lately, and as I walked (no music so had time to ponder some things) I thought about just stopping and going to my air- conditioned car and quitting early.  But then I considered my 3rd great grandmother. Her name was Ann, and she came over from Wales on a ship in 1863.  Her husband was already in America, and she was following with her 4 small children, including a baby born after her husband left.  The voyage was probably more than a month long, and some of the children got a "fever" -- 2 of them died, including the baby. She tried to hide the little bodies in a trunk, but she was forced to bury them at sea.  After arriving in Baltimore, she had to go by wagon to Pennsylvania where they probably got on a flatboat and rode down the Ohio River to Ohio. So there she was, new country with a different language, no air conditioning or car or Walmart. I can't even imagine what that was like.  When I had to cross the ocean to follow my husband to Germany, we flew and arrived the same day and I was exhausted.  Obviously my Welsh grandmother was much stronger than I am.  Here's a picture of her daughter Mary -- she came over on the boat when she was about 3 years old.

   

    So I thought about my ancestors, and walked a while longer.  The meaning of "difficult " or "old" is a matter of perspective. This is the day that the Lord has made -- let us remember where we have come from and REJOICE! Put a spring in your step!