 鲜花( 29)  鸡蛋( 0)
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A 92-year-old, petite, well-poised and proud man, who is fully dressed # `5 \$ ^* @# t. X5 x, o
each morning by eight o'clock, with his hair fashionably coifed and 0 n, c4 M$ ~1 @/ {/ g. ~
shaved perfectly applied, even though he is legally blind, moved to a " z* M7 F/ n+ b+ ^# B9 W8 }$ }. E
nursing home today.
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9 g6 {# x3 V" i5 _ tHis wife of 70 years recently passed away, making the move necessary. ( q, _- j% T+ j, |
After many hours of waiting patiently in the lobby of the nursing home,
, u# l9 b! j* ~he smiled sweetly when told his room was ready. + R" C# e9 J& i
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As he maneuvered his walker to the elevator, I provided a visual & L7 x. w5 w: }6 x' B( g: s
description of his tiny room, including the eyelet sheets that had been
% a3 v* ^7 B+ V7 ahung on his window.
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"I love it," he stated with the enthusiasm of an eight-year-old having % h4 \# K# T& d, _$ o4 r
just been presented with a new puppy.
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"Mr. Jones, you haven't seen the room; just wait."
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"That doesn't have anything to do with it," he replied. i# Q- G# l$ d' E2 U1 Q
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"Happiness is something you decide on ahead of time. Whether I like my / n# a. l& t2 o _0 ]
room or not doesn't depend on how the furniture is arranged ... it's how , |- E* H+ q: G( j0 Q6 J
I arrange my mind. I already decided to love it." $ a, n. a4 ~8 g: L2 p0 [+ S5 w' P) i
/ }4 M: v U6 I1 [( ^. }It's a decision I make every morning when I wake up. ! v% ?, X# P. L4 ]. p. X' X
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I have a choice; I can spend the day in bed recounting the difficulty I 8 S# j, F) L( P# Y
have with the parts of my body that no longer work, or get out of bed 3 k5 i2 D9 \! l! G, G. u
and be thankful for the ones that do.
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. N, ?2 ^- `$ o3 h& ~Each day is a gift, and as long as my eyes open I'll focus on the new ! h2 n+ E- ]) y. i4 d
day and all the happy memories I've stored away.
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( S7 s" l* G. v8 W i& y3 ?: FJust for this time in my life.
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Old age is like a bank account. You withdraw from what you've put in. 1 f1 a+ u( g7 d2 s! m, D, q
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So, my advice to you would be to deposit a lot of happiness in the bank , y8 S$ k2 X0 o x) ~
account of memories! Thank you for your part in filling my Memory bank. 5 n( ]4 |/ H9 z* {7 g" x4 {3 c! z
I am still depositing." Remember the five simple rules to be happy: . C' B0 W. s w$ l% w. c; U% f
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1. Free your heart from hatred. ( n0 ~1 i& y. O* o4 B0 i7 w6 \
2. Free your mind from worries.
+ k& @" o# J- z: {% O' I+ O7 r 3. Live simply.
2 j' o1 i+ Q) f. [ 4. Give more.
8 T) y; C3 S% g5 w4 | 5. Expect less. |
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