Grandma’s cure for boredom

Source : http://www.coolnsmart.com/boredom_quotes/

In response to The Daily Post’s writing prompt: “Roy G. Biv.”

The Prompt:  Write about anything you’d like, but make sure that all seven colors of the rainbow — red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet — make an appearance in the post, either through word or image.

“Grandma, I’m so bored”, Olivia whined after lunch.  Since breakfast, Olivia had roamed the house, snooping through the rooms, and went through a few photo albums.   She had discovered that Grandma still didn’t own a computer, much less have internet.  How would she make it for three full weeks with absolutely nothing to do?

Grandma Violet had known it may be hard to keep a pre-teen busy when she offered to have Olivia come stay for part of the summer.  She had put a lot of thought into it and was prepared to teach her a life lesson and the quicker the better.

“Honey, Grandma struggled with the same thing years ago”, Violet said with a smile.  “However, I no longer believe boredom is possible unless we just want to be lazy and selfish”.  Olivia squinted her blue eyes and scrunched up her freckled nose.  “What do you mean, Grandma?”, Olivia questioned.  “Well, there is just far too much to do and too many people to touch to be bored”, answered Grandma.

“Bring me that yellow blanket hanging on the back of the couch, please”, Grandma said.  Olivia snatched it up and brought it over to the dining room table.   Grandma said, “I am making this for a young woman who is expecting a baby very soon.  She doesn’t have any family close by and I want her to feel special and loved.  I work on it in the evening, after dinner.”

“It’s very pretty, and I’m sure she will love it, Grandma.”

“Oh goodness, exclaimed Grandma, “the time got away from me.  I need to hurry or I will miss visiting a friend before her afternoon nap.  Her name is Indigo and she is very old.  She lives in the nursing home down the street.  I go to visit her every Monday and Wednesday and read the bible to her.  She is blind you know?”  They climbed in Grandma’s green station wagon to go and Olivia anxiously anticipated meeting Indigo; she had always had a soft spot for the elderly.  After a couple of hours of laughs and a big bear hug from Miss Indigo, she and Grandma left for home.

When they got there, Grandma hurried into the garden and began picking some of the sweet bell peppers she had grown herself.  Olivia followed along, watching Grandma pick the red and orange peppers and remove a weed or two along the way.   When they were finished, Olivia remarked that they could never eat all of them.

Grandma said, “I don’t just grow these for myself.  I share them with my neighbors.  See, there is Mr. Whitaker across the fence; he loves peppers and he is on a fixed income, so it makes my heart smile to share with him.  Let’s go inside and prepare a basket and you can run it over to him”.

A while later, they sat together at the dinner table; bones from Grandma’s yummy fried chicken on their plates.  Olivia tried to stifle a yawn and Grandma asked, “Are you tired, my dear?”  “Yes ma’am, I am”, Olivia replied.

“Did you learn anything today about why Grandma doesn’t have time for boredom?”

Olivia thought for a moment about what a fulfilling day she’d had.  Her heart had warmed when Indigo squeezed her and thanked her for the visit and Mr. Whitaker’s smile and “thank you kindly” had made her feel like she was a part of something special.  Grandma had even introduced her to the young, very pregnant woman at the post office and she could sense her appreciation for the friendship Grandma was giving her.  Olivia was glad she would be here to watch her open the yellow blanket that Grandma was picking up to work on now.

“Yes, I did, Grandma.  You are so busy giving of yourself to others; you don’t have time to be bored, and I won’t either anymore.”  Grandma gave her a hug and told her she was welcome to go to bed if she’d like.  “Can I stay up a little longer and watch you work on the blanket?” Olivia asked.

“Of course, my dear and I will even show you how to make one yourself if you’d like.”  As they worked on the blanket together, Grandma smiled and thanked the Lord for the gift of this child and moments like these while Olivia thought to herself how blessed she was to have a Grandma like Violet.