The life lesson my grandmother didn't mean to teach!
Isabelle Fortin
I help team leaders tap into the unique abilities of each individuals because: It Save time, Boost productivity and profitability | Public Speaker | Salsa Dancer | Veteran
My maternal grandmother was a force to be reckoned with.
Despite having a hard life she had great spirit.
She had 10 pregnancies, 3 miscarriages, 2 died during childbirth.
She also gave birth to a greatly premature baby, my mother!
My mom was born in 1941 at 7 months of pregnancy. Back then incubators didn’t exist so, when babies were born prematurely, they were put in the fire oven with the door open.? Grandma would stay up all night to keep the fire going while her 2 other kids would sleep.? Grandpa would spend months on end away from the family because of work so grandma was left alone to care for everything else.
When I was a kid, all I wanted to be was a grow-up!??
I thought adults had all the answers…… Boy was I wrong!
I counted on having them too.... wrong again!
So, imagine my surprise to still be clueless when I got to my 20s!
I thought I was the only one who hadn’t figured out who she was!
I thought I was the only one who hadn’t figured out what she was gonna to do with her life.
I thought I was the only..... Still wrong
I was about 24 when this happened!
I was picking up Grandma and bringing her to my aunt’s house for a party.? When I showed up at her little studio, I found her sitting in her rocking chair reading.
That was a first.? My grandma was always in her rocking chair but she’d be knitting while watching television…… Not reading!
To tell you the truth, I didn’t even know she could read.? She had been forced to leave school in grade 2 to help her mother take care of her siblings.
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She looked up at me and said:? Oh Isabelle, you’re already here!? Do you mind waiting for a couple of minutes? I really want to finish this chapter!!!
WHAT IS HAPPENING!
Of course I didn’t mind waiting, I just didn’t recognize her.
She finished her chapter and looked up at me and said:
I didn’t know I loved reading!
I was floored.? My 75 year old grandmother was still discovering things about herself.
At 24, that discouraged me!
At 51, this pleases me to no end.??
The moral of the story is……
We are never done discovering who we are.? Isn’t that wonderful.
We have to be willing to try new things.
We have to be willing to learn new things.
We have to be willing to be new "things".
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Connecting with and elevating entrepreneurs in the body-mind-spirit wellness space. Founder of Body Mind Spirit World, a digital hub amplifying visibility, growth, and impact for transformational leaders worldwide.
1 年There are several things, great or small, that we could learn every moment of every day. Let's keep learning and growing. ??
Engaging leaders to grow and transform teams | Training catalyst for building collaborative service-driven cultures | Disney Institute Trained CX Professional | Certified Instructional Designer & Virtual Trainer
1 年What an inspiring story Isabelle Fortin and this line resonated with me most of all: "We are never done discovering who we are" because it truly is a wonderful thing to experience, no matter how young or old you happen to be.
Biohacking tips| Cellular health| weight loss with a natural GLP-1 activator | plant-based nutrition
1 年Mindset is so important. Hope you are having a marvelous Monday
Empowering Women 50+ to Achieve Extraordinary Change Transformational Leadership Coach | Guiding Clients to Discover New Confidence & Clarity | Podcast Host '50, Not Dead' | Inspiring Female Founder
1 年What a beautiful and inspiring story!!