WE TRY

As a mother and a grandmother, why do we think if we really try we can solve all problems? Who do we think we are? Dr. Spock, Dr. Phil, Einstein or God? And if you happen to be one of the people we love most in this world, just come and tell us your problems and we will take care of it.

If someone pushes you down in the playground, we will clean the scrape, stop the bleeding and march right over to that bullies house and tell him and his mother off. Probably not the right thing to do but we love you and it will be better.

As a teenager that heart gets broken, let's go shopping and it will be all better. You really didn't need all those new clothes but we love you and it will be better.

We take care of the grandkids. We pay for that. We help with that all because we love you. Give, give, give. We do it out of love because we want it all to be better.

And then all of a sudden we realize it's out of our hands. We can't make it better. We have to let them get through it themselves, even though we know they may chose the wrong road.

We're told tough love is the only thing that will help even though we told ourselves we will throw ourselves across that road we don't want them to go down. Love is not enough. So we stand back and watch mistake after mistake while our hearts break a little day after day. We hope and pray that one day they realize that the love given to them and the advice they shunned is actually what will set them on the correct road after all. We just keep trying and loving. We patch up the aches in our hearts and go on and keep trying.

SHOWERS

As we all know showers are good for the body. Cleansing the dirt and grim of the day, the sweat from the sun or hard work and having hot streaming water pour down on those old aching muscles. But showers can be good or bad for the thought process.

Sometimes the stress and upset of life flows through your mind as the water flows over your body. Things you thought went down the drain long ago suddenly pop up as if it were yesterday. Memories of dearly missed loved ones cause tears to flow along with shower water.

Happy times can come just as fast. The other night standing under the hot stream just thinking about how good it felt jarred memories of other showers or lack of a shower. When my 21 year old grandsons were 10 I had a chance to send them both to Michael Jordan basketball camp. It was held at Elmhurst College and was 4 days that the boys stayed at the college, played nothing but basketball, met M.J. and learned the basics of b-ball.

As a grandma who was fanatic about Michael, I was more excited then they were. I planned on going everyday to watch and see Michael Jordan. And I did.

Of course I wanted everything perfect for them so shopping we went. New clothes, new Nikes, new sheets for their beds, pictures to have autographed etc. etc. etc.

On the magic day off we go arriving and registering and locating the dorm they would stay in for the next 3 nights. I instantly started unpacking their bags, putting their clothes in drawers and putting the new sheets on the beds, when 2 boys could not wait any longer to head to the gym. They promised they would finish with the housekeeping later. Yeah right. Off we went to find the fun.

They then had 4 days of basketball, Michael Jordan, Michael's sons Jeffery and Marcus and a wonderful memory for all of us. 2 little boys had the time of their lives.

What did this have to do with taking a shower or lack of a shower and brought these memories back to me so vividly. It was on the 4th day, walking into the gym to pick them up, with about 400 boys ages 8-18 and no parental badgering about hygiene the smell was so thick it was obvious that not one shower knob had been touched in 4 days. And not one happy and excited boy noticed or cared. The car windows were down all the way home. The grins from ear to ear and 2 happy tired boys. Thank you Michael Jordan.