Ammie
09-10-2004, 05:58 PM
> > 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.
>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.