Granny Rescued (May 23)

Part way through [their] first summer, [Granny] had found herself out rowing on her own. She was a few dozen yards from shore when her oars became tangled in a mat of water lilies. One of Evariste Leduc’s children called over to her.

‘Lady, are you in trouble?’

My grandmother had immediately thrown up her hands in surrender [and the youngster rowed out to help her.] But to me she admitted having been less helpless than she let on. ‘How else could I break the ice?’ Still, even so many years later, that trifling dishonesty had not ceased to trouble her. Her demure excuse was vintage Granny. ‘It was all right. I don’t suppose I fooled him, anyway’ …

The communication that finally opened up occasioned a massive change, for the Leducs had family all up and down the shore and inland, as well. Of course, Granny’s story could have ended there, but something told me she had more to reveal. I waited, and she did not hold back for long.

‘You know what? That boy was Bébert. That was the first time I met him.’

‘You mean Hank’s father?’ Hank was my earliest summertime companion.

‘That’s right. Only in those days he was barely six or seven. About like you and Hank right now.’

(pp. 5-6)

Such unexpected meetings are of course the beginning of many a long-term friendship. But what I learned in particular was that – as in the above incident – the trick is knowing how to make the best of them. In that and many other cases, Granny (and Grandpa, too) had a knack for never missing an opportunity.

Have you, as well, observed occasions when generous Lady Luck has thrown open the way towards an unexpected benefit … if only the potential reward is seized?