Sow Seeds of Happiness

                Families, communities, and nations can be strengthened if we listen and learn from the Greatest Generation.  These wonderful aged loved ones had many experiences that most of us have not, and they can teach us how to survive in the coming rough times.  One lesson we can learn from them is to look on the bright side of life and be grateful for what we have.

                I read the following story about an older woman written by an unknown author.  I believe it depicts exactly the attitude of so many members of the Greatest Generation.  She shares beautiful thoughts and gives awesome counsel.

                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 sheets 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.”

                She went on to explain, “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.”

And with a smile, she said:  “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, and 5) Expect less.

                I would enjoy caring for a person with such a beautiful attitude.  I know that we can determine whether or not we will be happy or not.  I know that the responsibility to have a good attitude is mine alone, and I cannot blame anyone or anything else for it.  We can strengthen our families, communities, and nations by sowing the seeds of happiness in our lives and in the lives of those around us.