I knew I was going to write about our thoughts and our minds when I woke up this morning. I just didn’t know what I was going to write. Then, when I walked into my office/guest room and looked up at the post at the bottom of the bed where I hung both of my grandparents’ hats, the words immediately came to mind. You see, I think it is important that we are aware of who we are admiring and whose minds we want to emulate. The world is a very busy place today and we have more choices than ever, which on one hand is a good thing, but on the other hand of that coin or that pen, it can lead to chaos and confusion.

So as I looked at the first hat, the straw hat, that Grandpa Hayes, my paternal grandfather, wore when he was weeding in his garden, I was reminded of my childhood days on the Gaspe coast when the breeze was cool and the air was fresh and the grass was green, the purest, richest green I can remember, and the smell of the Bay Chaleur was of the salty air brushing our noses and reminding us of lobsters being caught and cod being jigged.

Then there were the times when I would sit behind the old wood stove on Grandpa Hayes’s lap and listen to him as he taught me games and rhymes and told me stories from the old days, like the time he tied a mouse to the rope. of the light that hung over her and Grandma’s bed and when she woke up and grabbed the rope and instead grabbed a mouse, she nearly jumped out of her skin. See, that was my grandfather Hayes. He was a gentle and quiet soul, but he still had what we used to call, ‘a devilish side’ to him and you never knew when he would be up to something.

Some people on the coast still say that the old house where my father was born and I grew up the first years of my life was haunted and others say it was just my grandfather playing a trick. Either way, it led to some great storytelling. He was a kind and caring man who, as the story goes, calmed down a bit with each child he lost. That’s right, three of his nine children died during his childhood. I can’t imagine the pain he must have felt losing three children. His mind was gentle and represented a calm spirit. This is what I think of when I look at his straw hat.

Then closer to my desk is my grandfather Astles hat and that is the hat of a ‘true gentleman’ because that is how I remember it. He was known to be one of the greatest storytellers on the coast. His father died when he was very young and my grandfather chose to travel by train from the east coast of Canada to the west and worked for the farmers until the call to return home to the coast was stronger than the desire to stay in the country. attic of a farmer’s barn in the west.

He was a blacksmith, train brakeman, and avid hunter. I remember walking through the woods with him confident that he knew exactly where we were going at all times, even though I had no idea. I traveled with my grandparents often on the train to Montreal and Toronto and he was the one who was my protector, my gentle giant. To some, my grandfather had a short temper and he was gruff, but to me he represented strength, honor, and the desire to do what is right in the world. He loved me more than words can express, I know deep in my heart. His mind represented someone who overcame all odds to be a failure in life, to be my greatest hero.

I remember once I traveled with my grandparents to Montreal from the Gaspe and my father got sick and I wanted to go home. We had just spent 12 hours overnight on the train and found out about my dad when we arrived in Montreal the next morning. Immediately, my grandfather bought a ticket for him and me to go back home so we can be with my dad. He never complained or made me feel guilty, instead he spent another 12 hours on the train consoling and reassuring me. He is my hero. He is my gentle giant. His mind was one of great strength and honor. When I am reminded to be strong, I look at his hat.

Now, I ask you. What minds do you admire? Who are the people in your life that you want to emulate? Of course, I know that both of my grandfathers had their weaknesses. However, I choose to remember what they represent to me in relation to their minds and thoughts, and how they have impacted my life.

Remember, it is always a choice. When negative or depressing thoughts come to your mind, you have a choice. You can choose to dwell on them or you can choose to replace them with something positive and uplifting. It’s not always easy, I’ll be the first to admit, however it is necessary if you want to live a life of happiness and joy.