1,000 Smiles | Day 19 | Humor | Deborah Peters

May 22, 2012 by

You

You. Snivel. Smile. :) Today’s smile is captured in this photo. Funny enough the license plate belongs to my husband’s grandfather….which truly say’s much about the family I married into, lol. Funny, huh? Wimps R Us need not to read further, no pansies allowed. As much as this visual tells of the family, it really reveals most about it’s owner, Lee Danforth. Lee Danforth is a retired mechanic, truck driver, and entrepreneur from the rolling hills of northern Michigan. He is the devoted father who provided a wonderful life for his wife, Leona and their eight children. Because of his approach to hard work and freedom, Leona was able to be a full time stay at home Mom, teaching her kids the values every modern Mom desires today. Quality time, give & take, cooking, gardening, making – oftentimes I see where a hands-on way of problem solving came to the rescue, when early memories resurface. The boys know everything from home repair to car repairs, hunting and running small businesses. The girls’ have all pursued educations whether self taught or academic – all of them know how to sew, knit and crochet – a lost art in today’s word. All know how to bake!! Can you imagine? You can see how these quality values run deep.

They grew up with money not being the answer – YOU were the answer.

If you didn’t know how to do something – you learned how.

If you didn’t have the money to buy something, you made it.

Each “child” to this day is fiercely independent and that beloved trait is instilled down the family line, right down the grandchildren.

Today, even in their eighties, if you were to break down on the interstate, Lee would pull over to help, lift your hood, never asking a thing in return. Leona would send you home with some home made goodies. The real smile in today’s read lies behind what “No Sniveling” Grandpa Lee instilled with everyone: Self reliance and ownership, responsibility. Nothing can ever replace the determined will of a soul that say’s “I can, I will.” That’s a proud state of the heart that comes from the love, nurture and discipline of a loving parent.

Click here for yesterday’s Smile #18
Click here for ALL Smiles!
I Smile much more these days, click here to see why :)

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  • http://www.desertlife360.com/ Clifton Orson

    I agree!  The best rewards are the ones you earn and you sacrifice for.  Not only do you get the benefit of the result, you have learned something in the form of a skill and added to your ken.  That’s right, I just used “ken.”

    • DeborahAPeters

      LOL, Ken! TY Clifton – we need more of these days, don’t we?

  • Wil

    Love that, “If you didn’t know how to do something – you learned how.If you didn’t have the money to buy something, you made it.” And you’d never complain if you failed; just try again. Of course, if you succeeded, the neighborhood would hear about it!

    • DeborahAPeters

      Always!! Ty Wil, I really do believe the resourcefulness of being raised that way instills such good values :)

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