She would occasionally express annoyance over something trivial, but only for a moment. In the scheme of life, those things were never worth fretting over for more than a minute or two. I sometimes wonder how some people can be so positive, so buoyant, so at peace after living through so much adversity. Many, many Grand Islanders learned a lot about themselves and life from the tornado nightmare of 1980. And many, many people like my grandmother grow emotionally and spiritually through great adversity in their lives.
Overcoming adversity is something to be admired in people.
Overcoming adversity and becoming a more loving, compassionate person because of it is something even more incredible. Pete Letheby is associate editor for The Independent. Post your thoughts in The Public Forum. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.