 鲜花( 29)  鸡蛋( 0)
|
A 92-year-old, petite, well-poised and proud man, who is fully dressed
! z: V5 ?# K( a* F _each morning by eight o'clock, with his hair fashionably coifed and
+ z3 k3 y6 J, V6 Y3 n; yshaved perfectly applied, even though he is legally blind, moved to a 5 M: x, u5 v' d- }
nursing home today.
3 P, t1 v9 [8 T5 _8 r; L* C# o* \7 r- v9 d, A
His wife of 70 years recently passed away, making the move necessary.
% x) F. K( F% [) ]3 E: a/ Q* sAfter many hours of waiting patiently in the lobby of the nursing home, $ i8 T% s; C3 [8 f0 h5 |
he smiled sweetly when told his room was ready. ; F# U" ~$ O( {, l: B+ {
4 u) f6 j4 ?6 @3 {4 [
As he maneuvered his walker to the elevator, I provided a visual / j( x- z* b7 X
description of his tiny room, including the eyelet sheets that had been
: ~7 |5 q/ {* d3 Fhung on his window.
- I$ t% Y ?1 ?+ w4 f
# f. K, R7 X0 F- Y: z4 x3 _( R"I love it," he stated with the enthusiasm of an eight-year-old having ; w! H% ^* d3 c# c/ f) U5 n& S
just been presented with a new puppy. - g9 e$ B' Q% D
6 j% J( o8 o2 i7 n# i$ [2 ?
"Mr. Jones, you haven't seen the room; just wait." + | w0 U( {% {: ]! d l! f( j7 A
2 e- P4 G { T" q"That doesn't have anything to do with it," he replied.
; k# K$ t: } R+ g5 [' P8 a2 ^7 |; D9 h! L
"Happiness is something you decide on ahead of time. Whether I like my
1 c- w' t. M; N& e/ Q7 Aroom or not doesn't depend on how the furniture is arranged ... it's how 4 v/ _7 }" K& \/ X7 c" N
I arrange my mind. I already decided to love it." 6 J [3 b4 F# R. h7 [$ _5 j
+ ]/ K6 V! Q& o) H% q
It's a decision I make every morning when I wake up. t$ G/ _3 k' M! {3 r) p
P/ n3 C4 {7 S) ~7 g! qI have a choice; I can spend the day in bed recounting the difficulty I 0 {4 |( I; w0 L8 m
have with the parts of my body that no longer work, or get out of bed 9 C" T/ L$ n* c/ _' d" h% P- X. O2 |3 {
and be thankful for the ones that do.
, B& i- B$ W9 c6 Q8 L4 {: j1 N8 G' J2 j$ {( H
Each day is a gift, and as long as my eyes open I'll focus on the new
0 a' B& ]8 z# D1 t$ A( Xday and all the happy memories I've stored away.
- W) [2 _; f4 m t8 q0 ?& G/ G, ~* G6 ~
Just for this time in my life.
6 n& \9 ] Z1 V/ t. e0 B+ A+ n' y( \% Y
Old age is like a bank account. You withdraw from what you've put in. : f2 Q6 Y+ h8 M- |# U# H
5 x* y2 l: P8 ~- `9 d" P. p
So, my advice to you would be to deposit a lot of happiness in the bank B9 i9 f2 D( F; M) K
account of memories! Thank you for your part in filling my Memory bank.
# y& J A7 Z- x7 o3 xI am still depositing." Remember the five simple rules to be happy:
: r1 n% M( M5 W8 n8 ^/ L' R
3 h3 Z- X' l1 z2 Z2 c; d! J! k5 Q( D- P! Y 1. Free your heart from hatred. 1 V/ u( J J7 D- H; r
2. Free your mind from worries. 0 G1 d: d4 e, m2 V7 N' c
3. Live simply. & a7 q8 V# C* J _! P
4. Give more.
& M, u' E+ W# H) ]/ k9 k- z3 @2 s 5. Expect less. |
|