Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Good Gad

I showed Gladys my medal from Grandma's and told her I got it for running a marathon this weekend. "Good grief, I'll bet you were tired!" she exclaimed. She's so dang cute I want to put her in my pocket and keep her forever. "Yeah, I was pretty tired," I agreed.

"You know I used to love to run," she began. "You did?!" I quickly prompted, automatically chalking up just one more reason why I love this woman. "Oh, yes. My sister, she would stay in the house and read a book, but I would always want to go outside and run. Not for any reason, just to run. I think I thought it felt good."

"I think it feels good, too." I smiled.

"Just moving feels good," she continued. "I played basketball in school, too. Boy, I loved that." Gladys is positively tiny, and not just little old lady tiny. You can tell she's been a little person her whole life. Basketball?! I can't imagine this, and tell her so. "Oh, honey, I played all through school. I was the center." I asked her if she was taller than the other kids in her class...I just can't visualize this little wisp of a thing as the center on a basketball team (nor did I have any idea that girls even had a basketball team 75 years ago!) "No, I wasn't really taller than anyone, but I sure could jump...thanks to Mama!" Gladys says this with that ever-present twinkle in her eye.

"Your Mama taught you how to jump?" I asked.

"Oh yeah, with the gad," she laughs as she swooshes her hand back in forth in front of her. Of course I had to ask what on earth a gad was. She explained, "Mama must have called it a gad since she was Irish, but really it was just a piece of a shrub or tree and she'd swat our legs with it to teach us a lesson. I'd always start crying before she ever even swatted me, but that didn't help any. So I learned to jump, which made me a pretty good basketball player!"

I tell Gladys that it sounds as though she's been turning lemons into lemonade her entire life. "You know, I don't see much use in not being happy," she says. "Like some people around here, they sit around all day and say I wish I would die or why don't I die, well all I have to say about that is that I wish they would die already and leave the rest of us happy people alone!"

Well said, Gladys. Well said.

12 comments:

Erik said...

Wow, how profound is that?

Great story!!

E

Glaven Q. Heisenberg said...

O, Gladys!

If only I were 5 years older ...

Amy - the gazelle said...

she's so fantastic! thanks for sharing the story. :)

Unknown said...

she's a wise one, that gladys. i'm glad you keep these chronicled, because i'm sure her family would love to hear these some day.

Diana said...

Amen Gladys!

Jennifer Burgett said...

I love her!

Carolina John said...

that's incredible! she has the best outlook on everything. ya gotta love it.

P.O.M. said...

I wonder if Gladys knows she has such a big fan club?? Thanks for sharing.

Alisa said...

What POM said. She does have a fan club!

I really hope I'm as profound and happy at her age.

carpeviam said...

Love it. Should be everyone's life motto: I don't see much use in not being happy.

Sarah said...

I love her! Love, love, love. Why is choosing to be happy so hard to remember sometimes! Great reminder

Tyger Lily said...

Wandered over from Glaven's blog and am so glad that I did! Gladys has a new fan to her club!

Thanks for sharing!