One for the Money...
One for the money
Two for the show
Three to get ready
And four to go
You may remember these lyrics from the ever-popular "Blue Suede Shoes" first released on New Year's Day in 1956. But I remember this altered version from my grandmother. These were the lyrics she would sing to get her granddaughters off the back of the boat and into the water when we thought it was too cold to ski.
Little did she know the power these simple words would have on me for a lifetime.
You see, I still use them to this very day in the simplest of form as I sit on the side of the lap pool with my legs dangling in thinking the water is far too cold for my morning swim. While most just dive in, I sit on the side and envision the boat floating peacefully on Grand Lake with my grandma sitting backwards, the best seat in the house for watching us ski. I feel the coolness of the pool water on my thighs just as I did the lake water from the boat's ladder. And in my head, I hear my grandmother's voice, "One for the money...two for the show...three to get ready...and four to go." And with those final words, I'm off under the water and my morning swim has begun.
But I've often carried this simple concept into so many other areas of my life. Anytime I'm faced with a task that seems daunting, overwhelming or even a simple one I may be procrastinating, I hear her voice chanting these four lines. And by the end, I feel I have no choice but to jump into the icy water. Her voice has helped me take the first step to so many of my greatest accomplishments in life. I don't think I've even realized until now, just how often I carry her with me.
As I've mourned her passing over the past few days, I finally feel I understand the full meaning that a person doesn't have to be physically present to be with you. As she rests peacefully in heaven, she will always remain very much alive in so many hearts.
Take a few minutes to think of the people who have made an impact in your life. What will you carry forward?
