Cousin Rufus Finds Granddaddy's Rules for Living

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Dear Cousin Cletus,

They tell me yesterday wuz Grandparents’ Day. Ah wouldn’t a knowed it ‘cept ah got a card from mah granddaughter Lizzy, the thoughtful one.

So ah got tuh thinkin’ ‘bout our own granddaddy (bless his mem’ry). Do you ‘member when we wuz teenagers and got us jobs at the sawmill, Cletus? We wuz gettin’ full of ourselves, makin’ fifty cent a hour. And when Granddaddy saw we wuz gettin’ puffed up, he set down and wrote us ten rules fer livin’. He feared we’d git outside the holler and be the ruination of ourselves.

Wahl, ah found mah copy. Here’s whut Granddaddy Ledbetter wrote:

GRANDDADDY’S TEN RULES FER LIVIN’

Give yore boss a honest day’s work fer a honest day's wages.
Respect yer elders.
Don’t drink, smoke or chew, and don’t run with them thet do.
Cussin’ is fer small-minded people thet wants other folks to think they’s smarter than they really is.
Thank the Good Lord ever’ day fer yer blessins.
It ain’t Uncle Sam’s job to give you a house and put food on yer table. Git busy and work yoreself.
Pay yer debts on time.
Stay away from loose wimmen. You can tell who they is ‘cause they don’t wear ‘nuff clothes to wad a shotgun.
When you find a girl you want to grow old with, marry her, THEN move in together. Don’t get it backward.
Don’t be afeerd to take the blame when you did somethin’ wrong. Humility is good fer a body.

There‘s Granddaddy’s rules, Cletus. They kept us outta a lot o' trouble. Mebbe ah’l frame thet old paper and give it to mah grandkids.

Yore Cuz,

Rufus

What about you? Any words of wisdom for your grandchildren or from your grandparents? Feel free to comment below.