Some thoughts...

A special friend forwarded this to me. He said that many of the suggestions reminded him of me and my mindset. All I know is that this elderly lady has a lot of good things to say. I hope you enjoy.

Written by Regina Brett, 90 years old, of the Plain Dealer, Cleveland , Ohio .
To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me. It is the most requested column I've ever written. My odometer rolled over to 90, so here is the column once more:

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.

3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.

5. Pay off your credit cards every month.

6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.

8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.

9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.

10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.

12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.

13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.

15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.

16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.

17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.

18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.

19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.

20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.

21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.

22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.

23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.

24. The most important sex organ is the brain.

25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.

26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words 'In five years, will this matter?'

27. Always choose life.

28. Forgive everyone everything.

29. What other people think of you is none of your business.

30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.

31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

33. Believe in miracles.

34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.

35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.

36. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.

37. Your children get only one childhood.

38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.

39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.

40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.

41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

42. The best is yet to come...

43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

44. Yield.

45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift.

Friends are the family that we choose.

Make it a wonderful life!

It is never too late to be what you might have been. ~ George Eliot

Spring is here...

After all of my good intentions, I fell behind again in my postings. The fact that I'm so busy is good, yet I really want to keep my friends up to date. It's hard to believe that Logan will be 4 years old tomorrow! He's such a wonderful human being, and I'm so blessed to have him in my life. This past Saturday, Kate and Joe had a birthday party for him at the park, and we all rode Sophie the Train! It was a lot of fun to watch Logan in his element--he is very interested in trains. And it was reassuring to see how much Spencer has grown lately. He is such a sweet little boy, and it was delightful watching him "dance" in the dried leaves! He was grinning and wiggling like it was the best thing in the world at that moment.

To backtrack a bit, I lost Zeke this past January. Perhaps that's why I delayed writing. His demeanor and physical characteristics pointed to some sort of neurological disorder or perhaps brain tumor. My wonderful friend/vet convinced me that I needed to let him go. Just a few days prior to that, Zeke and I had an incredibly terrific run through the agility courses out at the training center. I'll always be thankful that he had that opportunity to be joyful and run free. It was hard to let him go, and I've had lots of support from friends.

I did know that I was going to eventually look for a dog that would enjoy agility and physical activity such as hiking and camping. Well, on February 15 (Mark's birthday) a member of the rescue group who gave me Caleb called--he said that he had heard that I lost my agility partner and asked if I would consider just looking at a pup. I did meet the puppy, gave it a day's thought and then adopted him. His name is Asher, he is 1/2 Catahoula Leopard dog and 1/2 Australian Shepherd, and he is a joyful addition to our household. It seems as if he has springs in his legs and smiles in his heart. We're now in puppy basic training and will advance to field work. After field work, we will be able to get into agility! Asher certainly doesn't replace Zeke, yet having him in the family keeps me more physically and mentally active. Above is a photo of Logan and Asher taken a few weeks ago. They are already good buddies!

Caleb and I have continued our Divine Canine Therapy work. He is exceptionally good with the young ones at the Children's Shelter. The toddlers enjoy climbing on him, and he is gentle as ever. We've also continued some visits to a nursing home. It's sweet when we walk in the door--all of the residents know his name on site, but not mine! That's the way it should be. A new venue for him was a rehabilitation hospital where the patients' conditions varied from minor to lack of response. With each patient, he was quiet, calm and did his job. All of the nurses and doctors were taking photos of him so they could show their families about the big white dog they met! The best part is that we received many smiles and left there feeling that we had made a difference.

The weather has been beautiful and my flowers are all ablaze! A former student came to visit last Saturday, and he said that he didn't even need house numbers because he knew it was my house when he saw all of the flowers! Ultimate compliment, I'd say. There was a rain shower night before last but we need lots more rain. I believe the weatherman reported that our area is already 3 inches behind what would be a healthy level for this time of year. Rain dances, anyone?

Speaking of former students--I saw two of my most special ones last week. Michael met me for lunch on Friday just after landing in Austin, and the best part of this is that he will be here all week! Then, on Saturday, Shannon came to the house. I'd not seen Shannon in a long time--perhaps 9 years. We had lots to talk about and truly enjoyed catching up. I'm so thankful that he had the time to spend with me.

Our little Jonah will be here this weekend--haven't seen him since Christmas! It's a lot of fun to talk on the phone with Amanda because I can hear Jonah's squealing, laughing and talking! On Saturday, we're all going to converge on Kate's house for a family gathering. What photo ops having all 3 grandsons together on a spring day, right?

My sister, Ruth Creigh, and I have been in touch lately. How much fun it has been to laugh and talk about the happy memories. And, as many people know, our family had some extremely sad events over the years. Somehow knowing that we can at least be in contact and care about one another has been a big boost for me, and I honestly believe it has had the same effect on her. This morning she offered to send me some photographs that another sister had given her after our mother passed away. It will be terrific to see photos of my growing up no matter when the photos were taken. I only have a couple of myself when I was young, so this will be fun for me. Perhaps the girls will enjoy them, too.

I'll sign off for now, but with my renewed energy of late, don't be surprised if I write more often now!

Be well. 

People are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.    ~Abraham Lincoln