Wednesday, March 22, 2006

More Choices

Hi folks it’s Peter here, Merle is having trouble posting at present, so as a test I’m going to try posting from my place, you will see the results if it has worked.

A 92-year-old, petite, well-poised and proud man, who is fully dressed each morning by eight o'clock, shaved, with his hair fashionably coiffed, 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 many hours of waiting patiently in the lobby of the nursing home, he smiled sweetly when 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.

“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 it 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."

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.

11 comments:

Peter said...

Hi Merle, well that worked OK from here, maybe just a coincedence?
I tidied up your sidebar a bit while I was there and turned off word verification.

mreddie said...

Very good rules to remember. ec

madameplushbottom said...

Oh Peter/Merle I hope you don't mind but I am stealing this for my own site... either random tidbits or i put my hand in yours. I love it.

My gramps literally died the morning he was to be admitted to a nursing home. I knew he didn't want to go there and I think he made a decision that he wasn't going to go and guess what - he didn't. I know he's in a much happier place and I hope he's surrounded by hot angels now! He sure did have an unhappy existence around here and I think he was as much in control of that as anyone else.

Merle - I pray that you feel better soon.

Merle said...

Hi Peter `` Thank you ~ a good post too. I will try putting on the last one on that I couldn't last night. I also got
an e-mail from Blogger with apologies.
Wow. Thanks again. Love, Merle.

Merle said...

Hi Meg ~ Glad you liked the post Peter put on. I did too, and by all means use it and anything else you like.Cheers,
Merle

Merle said...

Mr Eddie ~~ I liked the last comment ~
you were sorry I had pain and then read the Men thing. Clever. Guess we are still friends. Cheers, Merle.

JunieRose2005 said...

Merle/Peter,

...A very good post- good advice for us all!

June

Anonymous said...

I do the same thing. Choose.

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Peter said...

Hi Merle, you got spam as soon as I took WV off, click the button at bottom of comment to delete it. If they keep coming I'll put WV back.

Granny said...

Hi Peter. Blogger has been giving all of us fits lately.

Smenita has come back. If Merle ever sees it on WV when she tries to leave a comment, it's not her - it's blogger.