cindy0519 Posted July 25, 2006 Share Posted July 25, 2006 A 92-year-old, petite, well-poised and proud lady, who is fully dressed. Each morning by eight o'clock, with her hair fashionably coifed and makeup perfectly applied, even though she is legally blind, moved to a nursing home today. Her husband of 70 years recently passed away, making the move necessary. After many hours of waiting patiently in the lobby of the nursing home, she smiled sweetly when told her room was ready. As she maneuvered her walker to the elevator, I provided a visual description of her tiny room, including the eyelet sheets that had been hung on her window. "I love it," she stated with the enthusiasm of an eight-year-old having just been presented with a new puppy. "Mrs.. Jones, you haven't seen the room .... just wait." "That doesn't have anything to do with it," she 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Wood Posted July 25, 2006 Share Posted July 25, 2006 The old lady is right. Attitude makes the difference. One of my slogans is , "Have an attitude of gratitude." There was a commercial on the TV not too long ago where the old lady says, "Every morning I get up, I can decide to be happy or unhappy. I decide to be happy." How right she is. Don Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ztweb Posted July 25, 2006 Share Posted July 25, 2006 I love the five suggestions. Why is it hard to do those five things? Heck, I worry about trying to live simple, while hating cancer, and I wish I had more to give!!! God bless you all! Jen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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