Monday, December 20, 2004

5 SIMPLE RULES

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 curtains 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

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

That's wonderful, Lu! It really makes you think about how you look at the world.

Love and hugs,
Susan
http://journals.aol.com/sbrlz/Madnesstheillnessnottheband

Anonymous said...

Thanks for sharing this with us. -Krissy
http://journals.aol.com/fisherkristina/SometimesIThink

Anonymous said...

Wonderful post.  I think we should all keep this in mind each and every day.

Anonymous said...

Lu dear, this is so very true.  These are all things we cannot do completely without the enabling of a merciful and loving God.
loving you
karyl

Anonymous said...

Thank you, LuAnn.  I needed that today.  Penny  

Anonymous said...

This is soooo good!  Wonderful and very true!!  Thank you, Lu!  Take care, love! xox

Anonymous said...

exactly...most people's day goes how their mood is to begin with....they can point out all the bad things and say everything sucked, or they can look at the positive things, and see what they got out of their day!! Wonderful story, and SO true.,...

Jackie

Anonymous said...

WOW I sending this to my mom. I just had words with her. You see she is full of bitterness and a very negative person. Working at Markey cancer has made her so very bitter and selfcentered I miss the mom I once had. Lori