“My grandmother is the kind of person who always thinks that no matter how bad things might seem, everything will always come out all right. Her hair could be on fire and she’d probably say, ‘Well, at least we have light to read by.’”

The boy’s family’s optimism demonstrates their compassion and maintains a light-hearted tone despite potentially dark conflicts. Grandma’s attitude suggests that even the stickiest situations—like her hair being on fire—could become an advantage if one doesn’t fixate on hopelessness. This optimistic perspective also adds to the story’s themes; if Grandma’s hair really were on fire, she would leverage her available resources to create something good.

“It all makes sense if you wait long enough.”

Caring for Grandma demands patience from her family because of her disjointed logic: For instance, one minute she’s talking about a lawn mower and the next she muses how Thursday night bridge club conflicts with CSI showtimes. If one waits patiently for the connection, however, Grandma’s entire thought process makes sense. The same concept applies to the boy’s story. Even though he didn’t understand business or economy initially, he eventually learns more about how the world works than he knew before.

“Thanks, Grandpa. I never really knew my grandfather but the mower seemed tough and friendly. Maybe it was like him. He had worked on it and used it and it was nice to think of him as part of it.”

The lawn mower links directly to the boy’s family because his grandfather, whom the boy never really knew, cared for it. Tools that are truly cherished can develop their own character; the boy imagines the mower’s history and decides it appears “tough and friendly.