More years lived on this planet often translates to a healthy dose of wisdom. While some of the things our grandparents told us turned out not to be true (like that the Beatles were to blame for the decline of Western civilization), it turns out we learned a lot from the parents of our parents. Some life lessons are timeless, so here are a few of our favorite gems.
Little Actions Can Add Up to Make a Difference
Sometimes, we all feel like the things we do don't really matter or don't make a lot of difference. It can be discouraging, whether you're trying to save money or save the planet. But our managing editor, Carrie, had some good advice about this from grandpa: "Little drops of water and little bits of sand make the mighty ocean and this great big land."
It Takes a Little Mayonnaise to Make the Best Grilled Cheese
There are times when a grandparent's actions speak louder than words, and those can be a kind of wisdom, too. Our deputy editor, Karen, learned a great hack for making a killer grilled cheese from her grandmother. "She used mayonnaise in her grilled cheese sandwiches," Karen says, "And they were the best grilled cheese I ever had." Apparently, you just spread the mayo on instead of butter.
You're Just as Good as Everyone Else
My own grandpa, a respected veterinarian who grew up poor during the Great Depression, thought a lot about how people saw one another when it came to socioeconomic class. He'd been near the bottom and near the top when it came to class, and that gave him a unique perspective. He used to remind me, "You're not better than anyone else, but there's also no one who is better than you." It turns out that's true.
Related: 50 Questions to Ask Your Grandparents to Pull the Curtain Back on Their Lives
Plant Your Garden When the Time Is Right
Our associate editor, Megan, inherited some gardening advice from her great-grandfather. "My mom’s grandfather always swore by not planting until after blackberry winter, which is usually the last frost before Easter," she says, noting that the advice might be regional. It's never failed her, though.
Get Up Early for You Time
Between work, kids, and all the other busy stuff in our lives, it's not always easy to carve out a little self time. Karen had a good example with her grandfather, though. "My grandpa always got up at like 4 AM because he said he loved having the morning to himself," she says. "I thought he was so wild for doing that. Now I do it."
While you might not be up for getting up that early, even just a half an hour will give you time to chill and drink your coffee in peace. The point is to start your day without other people's demands.
Serving Someone Else Can Be a Way to Show Love
My grandma, who was a tough and powerful woman, used to carry my grandpa's lunch in to him on a plate, and when I was a teenager, I confronted her about what I thought was playing in to sexist gender roles. I couldn't understand why she felt she had to serve him. She just smiled and said, "Serving him his lunch is just one way for me to show I love him." Sometimes the wisdom of a statement doesn't really hit you until years afterward, and this was one of those times.
Watch the Trees if You Want to Know the Weather
Megan's grandpa also taught her how to tell when it was going to rain, a lesson learned in an era before the Weather Channel or smart phones. "He taught me that if you see the silver side of leaves, it’s going to rain," she said. "It always does."
Always Try New Recipes and Methods When Cooking
Carrie learned to always try new things, test her skills, and learn new recipes from watching her grandma cook. "My mom's mom (she was amazing — like June Cleaver) loved to bake and taught me most of what I know now," Carrie says. "She used to make the most delicious desserts. But she tried all kinds of new recipes, like all the time — she had her staples and stuff, but she'd pull out this, like, decadent chocolate bombe thing that takes days to make."
(Almost) Any Weather Is Good for Golfing
Karen's grandfather was a golf pro, and his enthusiastic example taught her a lot. "He taught me to golf but never in a lightning storm," Karen said. "All other weather is fine for golfing, though."
Measure With What You Have Handy
When she's in the fabric store, Megan uses advice she got from her great-grandmother. "A good piece of life advice my mawmaw told my mom who told me is that if you hold a bolt of fabric in one hand and unroll the end of the fabric to the hollow where your shoulder part ends, it's one yard of fabric."
Greet Hardship With Laughter Instead of Tears
Sometimes, grandparent wisdom is passed down from even further back. I remember my grandma quoting her own grandma, a woman born in Ireland back in the mid-1800s. She'd had a tough life, but she chose to react to frustrations and setbacks with joy instead of sorrow. My grandma's grandma used to say, "You might as well laugh as cry." Those are words I live by.
Make the Most of Hard-Earned Life Lessons
From how we cook and golf to how we handle setbacks, our grandparents have passed on a lot of wisdom. Sharing what we know with each other and future generations is a great way to make the most of our hard-earned life lessons. And that's just one more thing our grandparents taught us.
