This is the 14th and last post of the Mug Monday summer series. Thank you for indulging my coffee mug “wisdom” musings. Today, we consider not one mug, but three! What lesson will God teach us today?
When I was shopping one day, I spotted several mugs decorated with my grandmother name – “Nana.” How nice! Not only would any of them make a very adequate holder for my coffee, but everyone would also know the coffee belonged to me. But, I couldn’t purchase all of them. I needed to choose one.
So, I began to evaluate the pros and cons of each mug. Did it fit my hand? Was it thick enough to help keep the coffee warm? Did I like the colors and design?
Then I noticed the variation of the sayings on each mug and wondered if any of them describe me in my role as “Nana.” The three slogans read as follows:
- Ask not what your Nana can do for you, but what you can do for your Nana
- Love, Live, Spoil
- Life is Better with Nana
Mug #1
I’m going to be honest. At first, this mug was my favorite. Like me, it’s a bit of a smart-alec. I thought, “Wow! It would be great if somebody did something for Nana!”
Then I realized Mug #3 is simply a reflection of our self-absorbed, “it’s all about me” culture. That’s not the kind of Nana I want to be. That’s not the kind of person I want to be.
Mug #2
Do I “love, live, and spoil?” I’ve definitely got the “spoil” thing down to a science. (But for the long term, that’s probably not a good thing.) And, oh my, I do “love” my grandson! I would battle a pack of ferocious wolves to protect him. Grandmothers don’t have to work on the “love” part; I’m pretty sure God wired us for this one.
Spoil? Check. Love? Check. But what about “live?” When I’m with Micah, do I “live” in the moment? For the most part, yes. But not always. Sometime I’m writing a blog in my head or checking email on my phone.
I forget that “these days” are limited. The days when Micah says, “Play with me all day Nana.” Or the days he calls me on Facetime from his house 4 hours away and says, “Nana, come home.” “These days” will be over in a flash.
Mug #3
Well, let’s see. I can name and transform all of Micah’s Rescue Bots. But, is my grandson’s life better because I’m part of it? Will Micah be a better person because of my influence?
Spiderman t-shirts, ice cream cones, or the latest Rescue Bot will not give my grandson a “better” life. Yes, those things are fun, but am I investing in his life in a way that will matter for the long haul?
3 Lessons from the Mugs
You may be wondering which mug I brought home. I decided to not buy the one that best described me.
My “Nana” role is still fairly new. I’m only three years into this gig. I can still evaluate for possible redirection. I choose to learn a few lessons from the Nana mugs and select the one that best described the “Nana” I want to be.
- Live in the moment – When I’m spending time with Micah – and future grandchildren – I need to be present in every moment. I must “live” every last one of them while they still want me around.
- Make their lives “better” – Yes, I will still buy them ice cream, but I must make a positive spiritual impact. I need to “Nana” in a way that points my grandkids to Jesus and helps foster a desire in their hearts to know God.
- Don’t be afraid to be silly – (Okay, I had to find a lesson in Mug #1.) I will laugh, sing, and dance with them. I will make goofy faces over Facetime. I will pretend, yet again, to be a gorilla. Because, I don’t ever want to stop hearing, “Play with me all day, Nana!”
What kind of grandmother- or mother – do you want to be? What would be the slogan on your “Nana” mug?
I am a “Nana”, too. I have two slogans regarding Nana, though they aren’t on mugs instead they are on wall plaques that we have posted outside our back door, which is where our grandchildren almost always enter our house. One says, “What happens at Nana’s stays at Nana’s”. My grands love that! The other one, a gift which is for both my husband and me, says “Some of our greatest blessings call us Papa and Nana.” What a blessing and responsibility it is to be a grandparent! I like your three lessons from the Mugs!