When I was about 5 years old we made the move from Chicago to West Virginia, leaving our Polish family behind. We visited on a regular basis after that, but I didn’t grow up immersed in the entire Polish experience the way my maternal cousins did. While I didn’t grow up seeing my mother’s parents often, I spent enough time around them to get an idea of who they were and what they were like. I probably learned more from the stories I heard about them from my mother and other family members than I did from our visits with them.

A Difficult History

My own dziadek and babcia lived an extraordinary life. From being forced from their home by the Nazis, to enduring a journey toward freedom without all of their children, to making a new start in a foreign place under indentured servitude, their story is nothing short of incredible. It pains me to think of what they must have seen and felt along their way. I cannot imagine being a parent and having to choose which child to take and which child to leave behind. I also can’t imagine being one of those children who had to know that their parents were doing what was necessary to survive, but who also felt the fear and uncertainty of the future from a child’s perspective.

My dziadek was the head of the family and all decisions laid upon his head. He had to be quick-witted, he had to be decisive, and he had to be determined for his family’s sake.

As Dziadek says…

Once when we were all gathered together, my mother mentioned a saying that my dziadek had to her brother. She asked, “Remember what pop used to say… move slow but work fast.” At the time that she said it I thought it was an odd phrase. I remember thinking that it was somehow significant, but I didn’t fully grasp what it could have meant.

Growing up with a mom who speaks another language, you learn that some things are lost in translation. Words aren’t always literal adaptations of what is being communicated. This is especially true when you factor in time, context, and situational use of language. We’ve all heard or said something that when later told to another person didn’t really make sense until they knew the entire story behind what was said. Things are taken out of context all the time; the media offers grand examples of that on a daily basis.

I had a feeling that dziadek’s saying was one of those things. I’ve heard my mom mention it many times since the first time I heard it, but it never really sank in until recently.

Words Come to Life

Lately I seem to be in a planning phase in my life. I’m preparing for the future by taking steps to bring some objectives to fruition. It’s a process, as you know. You start with an idea. Then you begin to brainstorm as to how you could bring that idea to life and what tools you will need to accomplish this. You must be diligent and not lose sight of the goals you’ve set for yourself while steadily marching toward them. There are always setbacks. The key is to continue, even when it means one step forward and two steps back.

It was in the midst of my own setbacks that my dziadek’s words came back to me… move slow, but work fast. All of a sudden these words meant something to me. It was as if he was standing beside me, urging me forward. This man who I hadn’t really known well personally was here in my corner, telling me what I had to do and I understood. Move slow, but work fast.

Move slow. Be precise, be consistent, be deliberate, and be thorough. Take care to be thoughtful in your steps. Don’t rush, but be methodical and accurate. A job well done takes time.

Work fast. Don’t be idle. Do not procrastinate. Stay on course. Don’t delay. Or as we might say in West Virginia, “get ‘er done”. Even the smallest step toward your goal is a step forward and will bring you closer than you were a moment ago.

He Is Guiding Me

My dziadek’s saying could mean different things to other people. He may have even meant them in another way when he said them. To me though, those words have become my encouragement. He is guiding me on my path. I didn’t have the opportunity to spend a lot of time with him here in this life. I do believe that our forefathers guide us, whether with their stories and their history, or maybe even spiritually. In some not so small way, my dziadek is standing behind me. He is telling me to keep going and to keep working. He is spurring me onward, as grandfathers do to their grandchildren. This man who endured unspeakable hardship is telling me to persist. Djiekuje dziadek.