10/4/08

Think positively

A friend of mine sent this to me, and I really liked it. I am trying my darndest to think more positively lately. (Ok, well within the last few days...)

The 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.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

GREAT advice!! Thanks for passing this along to those of us who need reminding that it's the simple things in life that really make us happy ... smiles on faces, hugs, words of encouragement, hearing "thanks" when we take time to do something nice or to help another.

Mom

Kelly M said...

This is SO my Grandpa right now. He's 94, his wife of 67 years died three weeks ago, so he's now alone in an assisted living facility and his body is full of cancer. But he gets up and dressed every morning- hat, nice plaid button-up shirt, slacks, shoes and socks. And he rarely even leaves his room, but he's up and dressed and living because he's determined to live as long as he possibly can. He's awesome- so inspiring. As was this post- thanks!!

Nora said...

that is beautiful, and so true. just hard to remember, and sometimes even harder to apply. i'll make a more conscious effort to be like that woman. thanks, katie, for sharing. love you.