Without Bitterness

The side of our apartment where the bedroom is located becomes unbearably hot in the summertime. Even with the AC blasting and the curtains drawn, it's still miserable. So I’ve gotten into the habit of coming back to my office on the cooler side of the apartment. It is there that I pen my final thoughts of the day.

Outside it’s stifling hot with the temperature hovering at around 100°f in the late afternoon. But that's typical for South Georgia summers. What does amuse me is hearing people still complain about it, despite living here their whole lives. I remember my youth, sitting with my Mom, sister, and Granny Geiger beneath the shade of our backyard pines, shelling Purple Hull peas Dad had just picked from the garden. And our baby brother? He was usually playing in the pile of pea hulls.

Thinking about that gives me perspective when I find myself bitching and moaning about the weather. Summer used to be my time to be out of school enjoying the outside, exploring and riding my bike. But ever since around 2015 my fat ass can’t do anything but lay under the AC. After all my coronary issues, all I can do is chuckle to myself when I think about it. But in life what else can you do other than become bitter.

My Grandma Geiger pretty much laughed her way through life. Whether it was tending to her wounded youngins or grand youngins, all while tending to an ailing husband. She managed to do it with a smile and positive attitude. Even though she grew up in a broken home, got married at the age of 14, and had to uproot her entire family to move to Savannah in the 1940’s. She persevered, more so than I ever have, to be honest. Hers was a lifelong lesson on life and how it should be lived. Compassionate, empathetic, and without bitterness.