Do you realize that the only time in
our lives when we like to get old is when we're kids? If you're
less than 10 years old, you're so excited about aging that you
think in fractions. "How old are you?" "I'm four and a half!"
You're never thirty-six and a half. You're four and a half, going
on five! That's the key.
You get into your teens, now they
can't hold you back. You jump to the next number, or even a few
ahead. "How old are you?" "I'm gonna be 16!" You could be 13, but
hey, you're gonna be 16! And then the greatest day of your life . .
. you become 21. Even the words sound like a ceremony . . . YOU
BECOME 21. YESSSS!!!
But then you turn 30. Oooohh, what
happened there? Makes you sound like bad milk! He TURNED; we had to
throw him out. There's no fun now, you're just a sour-dumpling.
What's wrong? What's changed? You
BECOME 21, you TURN 30, then you're PUSHING 40. Whoa! Put on the
brakes, it's all slipping away. Before you know it, you REACH 50
and your dreams are gone. But wait!!! You MAKE it to 60. You
didn't think you would! So you BECOME 21, TURN 30, PUSH 40, REACH
50 and MAKE it to 60. You've built up so much speed that you HIT
70!
After that it's a day-by-day thing;
you HIT Wednesday! You get into your 80s and every day is a
complete cycle; you HIT lunch; you TURN 4:30; you REACH bedtime.
And it doesn't end there. Into the 90s, you start going
backwards; "I Was JUST 92." Then a strange thing happens. If you
make it over 100, you become a little kid again. "I'm 100 and a
half!" May you all make it to a healthy 100 and a half!!
1.
Throw out nonessential numbers. This includes age, weight
and
height. Let the doctors worry about them. That is why you
pay
"them."
2. Keep only cheerful friends. The
grouches pull you down.
3. Keep learning. Learn more about
the computer, crafts,
gardening, whatever. Never let the brain
idle. "An idle mind is
the devil's workshop." And the devil's
name is Alzheimer's.
4. Enjoy the simple things.
5. Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh
until you gasp for breath.
6. The tears happen. Endure, grieve,
and move on. The only
person, who is with us our entire life, is
ourselves. Be ALIVE
while you are alive.
7. Surround yourself with what you
love, whether it's family, pets,
keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies,
whatever. Your home is
your refuge.
8. Cherish your health: If it is
good, preserve it. If it is unstable,
improve it. If it is beyond
what you can improve, get help.
9. Don't take guilt trips. Take a
trip to the mall, even to the next
county; to a foreign country but
NOT to where the guilt is.
10. Tell the people you love that you
love them, at every
opportunity.
AND ALWAYS REMEMBER: Life is not
measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that
take our breath away. And if you don't send this to at least 8
people - who cares? But do share this with someone. We all need
to live life to its fullest each day!!
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