Summer with the Stoic

It was the summer of my 16th year. Mother encouraged me to spend part of my summer vacation with Granddad, a self-professed stoic. I reluctantly agreed, for he was a peculiar man. I couldn’t imagine spending summer days with him instead of reading books, writing stories, working jigsaw puzzles, playing softball with my brothers, and camping with my Girl Scout friends. Days later I boarded a train, unsupervised and alone for the first time, filled with an odd knowing that I was embarking on a journey, a quest of sorts. Hours later Granddad greeted me at the train station, his wizened face peering out from under a wedge of blue hat, which was the only thing on his otherwise bald and mottled scalp save a sparse fringe of white hair. For the first time I noticed he had that look about him, the look of a well-lived life. The map of wrinkles on his face told of an incredible journey. His eye lines told of laughter, of warm smiles and affection. His forehead told of worries past and worries present. Yet, there was an aura, an unflappable calmness, about him as if he were an anchored boat in his own safe harbor, lit by an ever-risen sun. After breakfast the following morning, I ventured into his office, barren save for a small wooden desk and oak bookcase. The bookcase with its inky treasures adorned the quiet room, quiet in the sense of easy solitude. Shelves of books expanded along another wall, as if they had been planted as seeds and grown by virtue of the sunlight that filled the room. Eager to learn more about Granddad and the philosophy he embraced, I retrieved a thick, heavy book from his shelf. I opened its time-worn binding, desperately trying to decipher the underlined words and paragraphs from its crumpled pages. Granddad lumbered toward his office and sat down in his rolling wooden office chair offering to help me grasp the basic principles of Stoicism. On that day and every day during summer vacation, he decoded stoicism into words I slowly began to understand. As I matured, I embraced Stoicism and applied it to my daily life. The four Stoic cardinal virtues, I know them well; they are my guides. Practical wisdom, courage, justice, and temperance Are the things that bring me peace. Practical wisdom, I know inside what’s right, I choose my actions with care and might. With clarity, I discern the true From false allure that seeks my ego to undo. Courage, the fire within my soul, Ignites even when obstacles take their toll. With resolve, I march through the darkest night, A beacon of calm strength and unwavering light. Justice, the cornerstone of my way, In every interaction, in every word I say. Balancing the scales, impartial and pure, I ensure equity for all to endure. Temperance, the steady hand I hold, In life’s tempest, a shelter to behold. Moderating desires that may lead me astray, Embracing balance, come what may. With these virtue by my side, I am strong, I can face whatever life brings along. The blues of fear, the blues of despair, The blues of uncertainty and doubt disappear. I am not afraid, I am not alone, These virtues are my anchor and my home.