My mother who is eighty seven years young has a great philosophy on life. She told me “If you care about me, come see me while I’m alive, not when I’m dead.” I’ve always taken that statement to heart. If we really care about the people we say we love, doesn’t it make sense to call them once in a while? Perhaps send them a little gift now and then? Or better yet, pay them a visit when you can. I know it’s hard to find the time and in this economy money may be an issue. I’ve always made the effort over the years to see those that I care about. My husband and I are heading to New York to see my uncle who is turning ninety tomorrow. His grandchildren are throwing a party for him and he’s been one of the most influential people in my life so I wanted to be there to honor him. To save money we are driving to an airport almost three hours away. It would have been easy to skip this trip because financially it doesn’t make sense for us to go right now. We will also have to take the time away from our work. We decided that it was important. We’d rather spend the money now and visit him while he is alive than fly in for a funeral. We’re going to have a great time laughing, eating and celebrating. My mother is flying in all by herself from Ohio. She told me how much effort it takes for her to make this trip. How it gets harder and harder as she gets older. She has no one to help her get ready, no one to help her pack or take care of the details. She has no one to discuss her plans with and get excited with. She does it all on her own. I told her that she can take the easy route and stay home and sit in a chair in front of the TV or push herself to go. Which makes you feel more alive? Sure it’s a little scary, it takes effort, something may happen along the way. You may get sick or fall or get tired but you are really living your life. I made the travel arrangements as comfortable as I could for her and I made sure to order a wheel chair for her when she gets to the gate so she won’t have to walk with her bags, jacket etc. At eighty seven my mom is a role model for the older generation. Fortunately she is still healthy. She has some issues but she is not a whiner. She keeps a spotless house, she cooks real food for herself and sits down at the table and eats like a lady. Don’t even mention a microwave oven to her, she’s not interested. She has her cup of tea at 4:00 every day in one of her china teacups that she’s collected over the years and still bakes goodies to share with her friends. She has a light heart, still laughs and stays away from the “D” word, as in depression. She says it is not in her vocabulary. I love the quote by Helen Keller “Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.” I get scared all of the time and I plow through those scary feelings and keep on going. Life is just like that! I’ve lived on the edge most of my life and it doesn’t get easier. It’s the only way I know how to live. I accept all that comes with it. Smile, take a deep breath and leap! Experience Joy And Pass It On!
Posted on: Thu, 29 Aug 2013 19:13:36 +0000
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