Kids say the darnedest things and the title of this column reflects that statement. I have been blessed with five grandchildren – three girls and two boys. They range from eight to 13 and over the years have said things that have made me laugh. I have marveled at their small, inquisitive, ever-pondering thoughts and how they blurt them out without reservation.
As with my own children, I wish I had written down the cute stories, but I thought my excellent memory would serve me my entire life. I was wrong and I now wish I had those stories to read and remember those cherished times.
A few weeks ago, my son and family were in Ely for Labor Day. We sat in my living room, catching up on everything everyone had been doing over the summer. The kids were on the verge of going back to school the day after Labor Day.
My boyfriend was talking to my youngest grandson, Joe, who has a twin sister. They were discussing a particular food item and my boyfriend said, “YUM” about it. My grandson Joe piped up with a quick, loud, “YUCK.” My boyfriend again said, “YUM,” a little louder and Joe came back with an even louder, “YUCK.”
Joe’s twin sister, Julia, came running over and said, to her brother, “Joe, don’t YUCK his YUMS!” We all started laughing and I was amazed how she came up with the concept.
Over the past few weeks, I have chuckled numerous times about her statement, “Don’t Yuck his Yums,” and have told the story to several friends because I thought it was so clever and of course, hilarious.
On a more serious note, I started thinking how this concept is one that we need so desperately. We all have opinions and our society has pushed us to be outspoken about those opinions. I was raised with the old rule of polite conversation and commonly heard to never discuss religion, politics, money, or sex.
The idea behind that rule was that they were personal subjects that could quickly escalate to disagreements or make someone uncomfortable. To some degree, it was understood that these taboo subjects would never be brought up at the dinner table, at social gatherings, or with people you do not know well.
It seems that rule, as well as so many others, has been tossed out the window, and no one looks to see if a baby was thrown out with the bath water.
We live in a volatile world, and it seems to be getting more so as time marches on. What used to be wrong seemed to have pivoted 180 degrees and what used to be considered right has also taken the same degree of pivoting. How can all of this be so?
We are weeks away from what I believe is one of the most important elections of our lifetime – almost more so than the one we had two years ago. Whether you are a fan of the current administration or on a different page, we all are entitled to our own opinions and in the free country of the United States of America, have been granted the right to those opinions. Free speech has also been an incredible gift, allowing us to discuss those opinions without fear of retaliation.
I have given up on watching most TV programs - including the news. Whichever station you tune into seems to have given itself permission to insert opinions rather than simply reporting facts. It seems the days of newscasters like Walter Cronkite reporting what happened have given way to he-said, she-said, and more often than not, leaving out parts of the story.
If you voice an opinion, many seem ready to twist it and “Yuck Someone’s Yums.” Debate is important and working through issues in a respectful manner seems to have been relegated to a playground that encourages, “It’s my way, or the highway.”
Impasse has replaced room for discussion, friendships, and lifelong relationships. I have seen this in my own life with connections to friends and family.
Some have been damaged beyond recognition.
The twists and turns and experiences of our lives have delivered us to the opinions we hold dear. Those different experiences are exactly why we should not expect everyone to see everything the same way.
As I have written in columns before, I have returned to my Catholic faith and acknowledge the importance of having God in my life. This all happened organically after a friend asked me what do I think comes after this life? That question hit hard and I did not have a solid answer to offer.
As our world has moved away from God at an alarming rate, it has brought me even closer to Him. Solace has replaced unrest for me. Truth lies with our Creator, and I have found peace rather than feeling like I was punched and left out in a storm.
A storm is raging in our world, and everyone can feel it. There is evil in our world, and it does not seem to be easing its pull. I have found the only antidote are days filled with prayer, good thoughts and seeking out aid and direction from our heavenly Father.
Talking about religion is one of those subjects we are not supposed to do. I have thought long and hard about this column and a question kept creeping into my thoughts: “What would Jesus do?” I got my answer gently and decided to go “there” - to that taboo subject that may get readers to stop reading what I write. It is okay if you choose to do so. Perhaps a few readers may be nudged to look past this crazy world and toward the divine. It is peaceful there, with so much to look forward to.
Eternity is forever – life here is short. There is work to be done before death takes us. I embrace the thought of leaving the world a little better than before I got here.
A beautiful thought is that you get to choose peace, which is something you cannot buy. Peace is comfort. Peace is love. Peace is away from all the noise of this world. It certainly is a break from the worldly anger, hate, unrest, quarreling, and disagreements.
Maybe my granddaughter understood something that we adults have forgotten.
We do not have to agree on everything. We do not have to like the same things, vote the same way, worship the same way, or see the world through the same eyes. We can hold tightly to what we believe without tearing apart someone who believes differently.
For me, returning to my Catholic faith has brought a peace I had been missing. It has not made the noise of the world disappear, but it has changed the way I hear it. When the anger gets too loud, I know where to turn. I pray. I seek God. I remind myself that this life is short and that how we treat one another while we are here matters.
That is why those four little words have stayed with me.
Out of the mouth of a precocious little girl came a lesson that a whole lot of grown-ups could stand to hear: Please, don’t yuck my yums. And I’ll try not to yuck yours.
