My Grandmother was a portrait of contradictions, she was a small woman about 4'11" with a big presence. She was at times elegant and charming. She was frequently mentioned in the small town newspaper where she lived for her work in the Catholic Church or for hosting parties for women of note. On the other hand, she smoked, drank and swore like a sailor and she was not above throwing a drink at someone if they pissed her off. She has the most wonderful husky "whiskey and cigarette" voice which my father and uncle imitate impeccably. Some of the most noted quotes I remember are: "that God-damn dog!", "this town is full of riff-raff" and "Oh for Christ's sake, Jennifer". She was a unique character and she played a starring role in the very early years of my life.
The moment I read this quote by Martha Graham, Grandma popped into my mind. It was characteristic of something she would say, she always encouraged me to be proud of who I was and she herself wore an aura of self-confidence as she clicked down the street in her 4 inch heels. I believe she truly respected people, especially women, who dared to be unique, who weren't afraid to challenge convention and to fully embrace their individuality.
They say that no two snowflakes or sets of fingerprints are exactly the same, this is absolutely true of human beings. What a wonderful gift to humanity it is that we all have something, some essence, that is uniquely Us. As Martha Graham implies, it would be a disservice to humankind to deny others, and ourselves, that gift.
What is it that makes you uniquely you? What are your gifts? Do you allow them to bloom or do you keep them hidden away? If the latter is true, how about bringing them into the light, even if a little piece at a time.
Peace,
Jenny
© 2011 Nanakoosa’s Place, authored by Jennifer Hazard
No comments:
Post a Comment