I was sitting on the porch with my Grandfather, when he made the comment, Thank You God!"
But me in my ignorance, and being school educated, decided in an instance that he didn't
have anything to be thankful for. By mistaking ignorance for intelligence, I quickly took in
all that he had in this world. From little more than a shack for a house, a pair bib overalls
he probably brought before I was born, and a pair brogans suffering from to much mending.
Now my school education taught me that the dumbest question is the unasked ones. So I
asked him,"What do you have to thank God for?" And my Grandfather with the patience of
a snail and a voice as calm as a hot summer's day answered me this way.
I thank God for blessing my parents and seeing me into this world
For blessing me with good parents
Who taught me the benefits of hard work
But allowed me to frolic and to chase the squirrels
I thank God for each and every time that I got caught
I thank God for every spanking that I got
I thank God for every row that I had to hoe
And for rewarding me with your grandma and allowing me to carry her load
For when it was time to feed my family, he made my hunting eye shine bright
But when age started catching up with my wife's looks, he turned down the light
He made everyone else's storm, to me just a sprinkle
He blessed my hands with callouses to cover my wife's every wrinkle
To this day your Grandma is the softest thing that I ever touched
Dead and in her grave today, but I thank God anyways
For not making her bear life alone
And for not making a true queen give up her throne
I thank God for all the fond memories of my wife
I realize now that the hard times were really the good life
But I thank God for keeping me in the blind
He blessed me with children that made me proud and toed the line
When I start thanking God, I never worry about how much
I think about the days I held you like your Grandma in my clutch
I looked into your eyes and saw her love
And I knew that I could never thank God enough
