Anyone and everyone who knows me, or has ever listened to my poetry
knows the influence my Grandfather has had on me. He is the foundation
of our family, and has always been admired as such. We lost him at the
age of 85, in the year 2005 to various health issues. I was only 17,
and even then, I still carry, and still value so many of lessons that
he taught me in those years that he watched over me. I will admit that
some lessons didn’t make sense till years later, and I’m sure there’s
so many more that I’m still to comprehend for years to come. I will
highlight 5 of those important lessons that to this day, I cherish and
partake in.
ONE: Treat Her And Spoil Her Like The Queen That She Is.
– 68 years. 68 years he was married. If he were still alive, it would
have been 77 this year. He treated my Grandmother like the queen that
she is. Every time I ask her about him, her eyes light up. He always
walked on the side closest to the road keeping her away from harm, and he provided for her and all 9 of their
kids. I once asked him how he did it, and he said the most important
part was to keep his wife happy.
TWO: Family First.
– I come from a family of over 120 members, and counting (Including
1st cousins and 2nd cousins). Yet when he was still alive, we were
under 80. Every Sunday after church, without a question, we’d all meet
up at his house for the weekly cookout. Every family providing
something, and all of us cousins having the time of our lives since we
all lived in different neighborhoods. He stressed the importance of
always watching out for one another, and reminded us to NEVER forget
our roots nor our culture, for that’s what made us, US.
THREE: Work For Everything You Feel You Deserve; Earn It.
– My Grandfather collected aluminum for income, he’d have no shame in
ripping open trash bags, and digging into dumpsters for just one more
can. My grandfather lived in my uncle’s Texas home, my uncle lived
with his family in Chicago. My uncle never asked him for rent, yet for
over 10 years, my grandfather would fill an envelope with more than
what one would estimate rent to be, EVERY MONTH. And every month, my
uncle would return to sender, never missing a month. My grandfather
found a way to make profit, any and every which way to spoil my
grandmother’s passion for planting flowers and caring for various
kinds of birds. I remember the garden both in the front and back
yards, and the 10+ cages of birds my grandmother loved, adored, and
cared for.
FOUR: Dress Accordingly.
– Even with the field of work my Grandfather partook in, you would
never be able to guess that he came home everyday smelling like waste.
My Grandfather had over 5 suits, various dress shoes, and tejanas to
wear for outings and even just for the evening wear. My Grandfather
even had his house slippers that he took very much pride in. My
Grandfather was respected and admired for always looking sharp. He
told me it was because he deserved to look nice, plus it was just
another way to complement my Grandmother.
FIVE: The Loudest Guy In The Room Is Usually The Least Interesting.
– Anyone in my family can vouch for this last one. My Grandfather
spoke very little, only when you asked him something, or when he
absolutely needed to. But every time he did speak, I swear the house
went quite just to listen. His voice carried so much authority, and
his laugh was one of the best-composed pieces of music I’ve heard in
my entire life. He would always sit in a corner, with his flask he
thought we’d never see, and he would spike his coke. You could tell he
was he wasn’t studying anyone; he was just beyond appreciative to have
all of the family at HIS HOME! He once told me that we could miss so
much if we never took time to appreciate the beauty of everything and
everyone that surrounds us. That spoke volumes to me then, and even
more now.
Stand out by just being you, and be grateful for everyone and
everything that you’ve been blessed with. The gentleman is grateful;
the gentleman only seeks to be better of, never better than.
Sincerely Yours,
The Chivalrous Economist
The Chivalrous Economist 