In a world that seems crazily hungering for things, possessions, and stuff, I thought I would list some of the best things in life... the things that are free!
Smiles are free to give and receive, compassion, bed time stories, Sunday breakfasts, honesty, friends, hugs, again are free to give and fun to receive, support, kindness, a walk on a beach, growing, belief, glimpsing a sunrise, holding a new born baby, comfort, shooting stars, listening to the wisdom of our elders, seeing a butterfly, calling a sibling, breathing deeply, looking into the eyes of our beloved, singing happy birthday, gratitude, passion, coloring with a child, the flickering of fireflies, listening to awaken us to dawn, hope, standing up for something good, caring, sunsets, sharing a poem, good memories, learning something, forgiveness, lovely dreams, laughter, tenderness, love songs, decency, a pat on the back, sharing a special treat, sleeping in a soft bed, family, acceptance, accomplishment, sitting by a fire in winter, finding a seashell, dedication to a cause, moonlight, compassion, finding animals in the clouds, listening to the questions of a child, clear water, forgiveness, family dinners, bubble baths, children's recitals, flowers, love making, fancy chocolates, silence, snow angels, starfish, dancing, devotion, making a difference, God's giving us Jesus, a free gift for all the human race.
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You know the only time in our lives when we like to get old is when we're kids! If you're less than 10 years old, you're so excited about aging that you think in fractions.
'How old are you?' ' I'm four and a half!' You're never thirty-six and a half. You're four and a half, going on five! That's the key.
You get into your teens, now they can't hold you back. You jump to the next number, or even a few ahead.
'How old are you?' 'I'm gonna be 16!' You could be 13, but hey, you're gonna be 16! And then the greatest day of your life ! You become 21. Even the words sound like a ceremony. YOU BECOME 21. YESSSS!!!
But then you turn 30. Oooohh, what happened there? Makes you sound like bad milk! He TURNED; we had to throw him out. There's no fun now, you're Just a sour-dumpling. What's wrong? What's changed?
You BECOME 21, you TURN 30, then you're PUSHING 40. Whoa! Put on the brakes, it's all slipping away. Before you know it, you REACH 50 and your dreams are gone.
But wait!!! You MAKE it to 60. You didn't think you would!
So you BECOME 21, TURN 30, PUSH 40, REACH 50 and MAKE it to 60.
You've built up so much speed that you HIT 70! After that it's a day-by-day thing; you HIT Wednesday!
You get into your 80's and every day is a complete cycle; you HIT lunch; you TURN 4:30; you REACH bedtime. And it doesn't end there. Into the 90s, you start going backwards; 'I Was JUST 92.'
Then a strange thing happens. If you make it over 100, you become a little kid again. 'I'm 100 and a half!'
May you all make it to a healthy 100 and a half!!
A 92-year-old, petite, well-poised and proud man, who is fully dressed each morning by eight o'clock, with his hair fashionably combed and shaved perfectly, even though he is legally blind, moved to a nursing home today. His wife of 70 years recently passed away, making the move necessary. After many hours of waiting patiently in the lobby of the nursing home, he smiled sweetly when told his room was ready. As he maneuvered his walker to the elevator, I provided a visual description of his tiny room, including the eyelet sheets that had been hung on his window. I love it,' he stated with the enthusiasm of an eight-year-old having just been presented with a new puppy. Mr. Jones, you haven't seen the room; just wait. ''That doesn’t have anything to do with it,' he replied. Happiness is something you decide on ahead of time. Whether I like my room or not doesn't depend on how the furniture is arranged, it's how I arrange my mind. I already decided to love it. It's a decision I make every morning when I wake up. I have a choice; I can spend the day in bed recounting the difficulty I have with the parts of my body that no longer work, or get out of bed and be thankful for the ones that do. Each day is a gift, and as long as my eyes open, I'll focus on the new day and all the happy memories I've stored away. Just for this time in my life.
Old age is like a bank account. You withdraw from what you've put in. So, my advice to you would be to deposit a lot of happiness in the bank account of memories! Thank you for your part in filling my Memory Bank. I am still depositing.
Remember the five simple rules to be happy:
1. Free your heart from hatred.
2. Free your mind from worries.
3. Live simply.
4. Give more.
5. Expect less.
Pass this message to as many people as you can. You will receive a smile from them all.
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