Cagle: All I needed to know, I learned from my grandmother

• Even with all of the change, there were patterns in Granner's life that were so constant; you could almost set your clock by them
• Granner experienced mission work and lived as a missionary among the Navajo people

Pinterest is a guilty pleasure I try to enjoy in small quantities. For me, it's a lot like a gateway drug. I tell myself it's only for fun; an occasional indulgence. I assure myself I'm in control.

The next thing I know, the addiction has spiraled out of control. I'm glassy-eyed in front of the computer screen and haven't eaten or taken a shower in days.

That said, while scrolling through Pinterest recently, I came across a quote from Robin Sharma, a man who writes about leadership. Mr. Sharma says, "Don't live the same year 75 times and call it a life."

For several days, I've thought about this statement. I wrestled with whether I agree or disagree with Mr. Sharma. Then I remembered my grandmother. As usual, her life held the answer.

When "Granner" married my grandfather, he was a cattle rancher and farmer in Oklahoma. Granner had grown up on a farm and had clear expectations of what being the wife of a farmer and rancher would be.

Then Papa became a preacher, and Granner's life changed.

Granner found herself living in parsonages in towns and states far from the plains of Oklahoma. This shy, quiet woman found herself organizing countless church potlucks and ladies groups. She frequently hosted visiting ministers and almost always had extra people at her table for Sunday dinner.

Granner experienced mission work, living as a missionary among the Navajo people. At times, she shouldered the entire responsibility of raising her three children and keeping up with chores and the home while Papa traveled as a missionary in Central America.

Even with all this change, there were patterns in Granner's life that were so constant you could almost set your clock by them. Every afternoon at 4 you could find Granner in the kitchen preparing dinner for her family. Each morning, you would find Granner outside in her garden, watering and tending the plants, feeding the birds and stray cats, and talking to her dogs that were faithful companions during these daily chores.

In the evenings, after dinner was done, Granner could be found in the kitchen washing dishes at the sink and singing hymns. As a child, I would quietly stand next to her, watching and listening. To this day, I'm confident heaven is lit by the gleam of the copper bottoms of her pots and pans and watered by the rivulets of soapy dishwater running down her arms. The angels take their cues from this diminutive choir leader's song selections.

As a child, whose world was turned upside down by divorce and constant moving, Granner's quiet routines and welcoming home created a security and structure I desperately needed. Her life created a steady beat that helped me regain my own rhythm as I navigated the changes life brought.

Mr. Sharma should have known my grandmother. From her, he would have learned that to successfully embrace change and opportunity, there must first be a foundation of strong and constant character. Faith. Family. Fortitude. Honesty. Kindness. Humility. All of these — lived day after day and year after year — create the bedrock that sustains lives of opportunity, chance and change.

In many ways, Granner lived the same life for 93 years. It's what enabled her to successfully weather the changes life brought to her. And in the process, she taught her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren how to successfully launch into uncharted waters and discover lives of our own. That's a good life by any definition.

Rhonda Cagle is a marketing and communications professional. Join the conversation at RhondaCagle.Wordpress.com, or follow her on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RhondaCagleWriter or Twitter @RhondaCagle1.