by Deb Mcnabb

Created on: March 19, 2010

Even though her body was aged, had become frail, weak and ill, my Granny embraced such fragility tenderly.  Though weak, she had a deeper sense of strength, belonging and poise.  She knew the bleakness of life and it's capacity to disappoint and sometimes even destroy, yet with a face deeply lined, her eyes shone with joyful light..  She knew the inner strength of the soul and the happiness it creates.

Happiness is not something that is given to a person that lies outside of them.  It is a product of abundance; it's the overflow of vitality.  It is not an ephemeral emotion that comes when the weather is perfect and all is well.  Present happiness has past and future.  Joy has a history.  It is nurtured by living.  It is the verified, repeated experience of those involved in living through the seasons of life.

Granny used to describe winter as a time when all color would vanish and everything would be reduced to gray, black and white.  Her grass disappeared and she would share about how nature withdraws.  We would watch the trees loose their leaves and retire inward.  She would smile and teach us that winter was a time of rest - hibernation.  It was a time of warmth and restoration.   She embraced the quiet season and was fascinated by it.  She was always reflective and would give such depth to the "winter" experience.  Her deeply lined face shone and her eyes were filled with light.  True happiness.

She loved the transition from winter to spring.  She would just giggle as she would share her thoughts.  When her first innocent, infant-like tulip would begin push through the earth outside her window, she would talk about the stirring beneath the frozen ground.  She would say, " There is a quivering life about to break forth."    She would share that spring is a time of hope, wonderful colors and new life.  Frail, she would talk about new adventure, creative projects, making some important changes.  She would pray that transitions would be made naturally and in a spontaneous unforced way.  She would acknowledge with the biggest grin that springtime was beautiful, hopeful and strengthening.  Always giggling.

Summer was a time of lushness and all nature was bedecked with color.  Granny share about the richness of summer.  She shared that each day held a "secret" that needed to be

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