 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 ?6 x/ s% q; \0 V
each morning by eight o'clock, with his hair fashionably coifed and ) [' K8 I( w/ N# w1 @
shaved perfectly applied, even though he is legally blind, moved to a % S( V) f) K2 V1 W/ T% L5 D
nursing home today. & S% L6 g7 y( N5 |
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His wife of 70 years recently passed away, making the move necessary.
) N4 a" n, [$ OAfter many hours of waiting patiently in the lobby of the nursing home, $ w5 P, d N7 C' t% d3 J
he smiled sweetly when told his room was ready. + _% i/ f. \" S) H' ?) k1 @
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As he maneuvered his walker to the elevator, I provided a visual . f4 F& h1 t& ?& j2 i- r" b
description of his tiny room, including the eyelet sheets that had been
# Y8 E- L% {% G8 X: shung on his window.
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"I love it," he stated with the enthusiasm of an eight-year-old having
, m% L* X( B$ H2 p* l$ Ljust been presented with a new puppy.
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"Mr. Jones, you haven't seen the room; just wait." 5 o( Y% W+ o+ x7 c# D: F7 I
& o8 F6 i6 f9 J$ j* E7 j$ F s"That doesn't have anything to do with it," he replied. , L9 y! {# X9 I7 _) N
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"Happiness is something you decide on ahead of time. Whether I like my
# ~: c: W% z% d1 Q+ o' {room or not doesn't depend on how the furniture is arranged ... it's how
" s8 s/ A8 E- I) l' K6 @( FI arrange my mind. I already decided to love it."
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+ t2 r4 Y6 ]" L5 i; g" zIt's a decision I make every morning when I wake up.
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& O& M# L' G+ M% W! i2 \! iI have a choice; I can spend the day in bed recounting the difficulty I " M9 e1 N4 _* _
have with the parts of my body that no longer work, or get out of bed
; ?: _$ `6 q) ~ ^: T; Oand be thankful for the ones that do. $ i( c+ A' _2 f) S& O
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Each day is a gift, and as long as my eyes open I'll focus on the new ' J9 N9 R& H4 v, w* j
day and all the happy memories I've stored away. 6 R |. E/ `2 I! \3 c
1 `+ R0 f7 E7 d$ l% GJust 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. - P( F n9 A% R: }% s* k
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So, my advice to you would be to deposit a lot of happiness in the bank + s: B( s7 a/ L9 ?6 s$ H" `/ H+ y
account of memories! Thank you for your part in filling my Memory bank.
7 {2 f) h, E, I- k. w6 a' CI am still depositing." Remember the five simple rules to be happy: 4 ~ s2 ]; a) Y& s
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1. Free your heart from hatred. a. p0 |& y5 {% e# T
2. Free your mind from worries. % h1 r" L Y3 N& H6 L0 t2 A: S
3. Live simply. 0 ~0 g7 N8 U, W
4. Give more.
5 M6 @: a: }4 b4 U& k( E; v 5. Expect less. |
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