Brinty
05-14-2009, 09:43 PM
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
waiting patiently in the lobby of the nursing home, he smiled sweetly
when I 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.
"But 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 everyone 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.
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
waiting patiently in the lobby of the nursing home, he smiled sweetly
when I 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.
"But 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 everyone 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.