Grandma’s words still inspiring

Published 10:36 pm Friday, November 22, 2013

The gold ink has faded, but you can still make out the word “Autograph” in cursive font on the front of the pink book.

All my friends in fourth grade had a book like this to collect signatures and sentiments.



I have not looked at this in years, but a quick glance shows many names in loopy handwriting.

Their written pledges were nice. They exhorted me to stay sweet forever and promised friendship always.

My grandmother’s autograph would be special. She loved me very much. I knew this not only because she told me, but I would hear her tell friends, “Lorri is visiting, and she takes so many steps for me. I don’t know how I get along when she is not here.”

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I expected a glowing testimonial in my little pink book.

My beloved Marnie wrote, “There is so much bad in the best of us and so much good in the worst of us that it behooves all of us not to speak ill of any of us.”

It seemed like distant, inapplicable advice. I tried not to show my disappointment in her choice of words.

Over the years, I have forgotten many of the people attached to the names in my book.

But Marnie’s wisdom shines brighter with every passing year.

She had no idea that I would be a reporter and get paid to see the best of the bad and the worst of the good. I wonder if she knew how difficult it would be for her talkative granddaughter to not speak ill.

How I would love to ask her now why she chose to give me that advice in 1974. Was it because of her own struggles or victories?

Maybe she was putting Ephesians 4:29 into her own words: “Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, that it may give grace to those who hear.”

Marnie died almost 20 years ago. Like Bible readers who wish they could talk to Moses, David, Peter or Paul for insight, I would love to have one more conversation in this life with my grandmother.

The other day our song leader, Jim, referenced the Last Supper where Matthew mentions that Jesus and the apostles sang a hymn. Jim said he likes to think that Jesus is a tenor.

Maybe it is not important what part Jesus sang, but that he sang. And maybe it is not important how my grandmother came up with her words, but that she lived in such a way that I am inspired to remember them.

Lorri Allen is news director for KYTX-CBS19.