Wisdom of not knowing

I don't know what it is like to live to 100. But, this weekend my grandmother turned 100, so we had a big party for her. All of her extended family with the exception of 2 grandchildren, 2 great grandchildren and 1 great, great grandchild gathered to honor her. People came from California and Arkansas and all points around Texas. Grandmother tired after about an hour, so she went back to her apartment. Then she came back for another two-hour round of eating and gift-giving before retiring for the night.

At the end of the party, I went over to her and said that I thought she would mention why she had lived so long. I was looking for something profound, some advice to follow. But, her answer was, "I don't know."

And that's about the truth for many aspects of life. She was wise enough to admit it. I think I need to be looking at certain aspects of life and admitting my absolute failure to be able to analyze them accurately. "I don't know" needs to be a more recurring refrain from my lips. I need to look at a circumstance and admit, "I didn't create it. I don't understand it. I don't control it. Not even close. Don't even try." So be it.