"County Looking"

          This past weekend was my sweet Daddy’s 81^st birthday.  That man is like the energizer bunny – I do declare!  He’s had three back surgeries, open heart surgery that was a quadruple bypass, and has beat prostate cancer.  Longevity is in my genes for sure.  His mama lived to be 94 and that was just because she was ready to go “home” because she missed Paw Paw and all her friends so much.  She had no serious illness to speak of, and wasn’t in pain.   It was Mother’s Day, as a matter of fact.  By late afternoon, she had talked to everyone in the family.  We all called her – children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.  She ate her supper, put her tray to the side, lay down on her bed, folded her arms and went to sleep.  Now that’s the way to do it – where it is a matter of the will and not of health!  I think if she had let her stubborn streak kick in, she would’ve stayed around another twenty years!

            My other grandmother is 92 years old and still lives alone and takes care of herself.  I don’t exactly know what to contribute this longevity in both sides of my family to, but I think it is just pure, simple, good clean living.  Daddy and his family lived in the country where there was plenty of fresh air and where they ate home grown fresh vegetables from their farm. They lived a quiet life surrounded by good friends and neighbors, social activities at their church and in the community.  It was a simple way, a good way.  Daddy proudly calls himself a “country boy.”  I wouldn’t change that about him for all the gold in California!  I am not a “country girl,” but I appreciate all that my Daddy is and has taught me through his upbringing.  Mama and her family lived in many places – often in the country.  Paw Paw was a minister who planted churches and accepted various pastoral assignments through the years, so they moved quite a few times in her early life.  If I could contribute anything to the longevity from that side of the family, I would have to say it was due to their strong faith, their giving spirit and sense of family and community.  Love is the strongest force I know!

            Anyway, I think I strayed from my point.  This past weekend I was with Daddy and the family celebrating his birthday.  Now there’s something you need to know about Daddy.  He says he’s kind of shy, but once you get him going he is quite the talker.  The whole “Rich clan” is actually.  So I guess I come by it naturally.  We were sitting at the table after lunch and Daddy was telling one of his stories.  He has what we call down South a “dry” sense of humor.  It just comes out of his mouth without him even trying to be funny.  He was telling us about a lady that was in the waiting area at the hospital when Mama was having her gallbladder surgery on Friday.  He began to describe her.  He said this “dried up, country looking woman.”  We all doubled over laughing at him – not the lady of course, but him for his description!  My son Josh and I laughed about that all evening.  One thing that we talked about was wondering what in tarnation “country looking” actually looked like!  It’s funny though.  I really didn’t have to ask because I already had a mental image of what it looked like.  Most of the people I know who live or have lived in the country, tend to be hard workers, are out in the sun a lot and tend to dress for comfort, so I knew exactly what Daddy meant!  We all have our certain “looks,” don’t we?  I mean a cowboy or girl has a certain

look, a certain style.  A city slicker tends to dress a certain way and behave in a way unique to their environment.  A “valley girl” another; a mountain man another.  Then of course, southern belles and gents have a look all their own.  Personally, I think that is just marvelous my darlins’!  Why?  Because it is what makes the world so amazing!  When we feel good enough about ourselves, to live authentically, embracing our heritage, our way of life, our values and upbringing, then we are our best selves for those we love and for the world around us.  So the next time you see someone and your first thought of them is that they are “country looking,” I hope you smile and say “you go girl” or “atta boy” because I can almost guarantee that person is a happy person.  They are living the life that they love and not one that others want for them.  And if you see someone that is a complete mess regardless of what their “look” is, please don’t get in a tizzy or fret about it.  Just smile, say “bless your heart” and go on about your business!