Aging Gratefully

This is what gratitude looks like in my life (with the caveat that I am a work in progress.) :0)

• I don't put my feet on the floor before I put a smile on my face.

• I say, "I love and appreciate you." to my husband everyday.

• I send some sort of message to my sons and their wives at least once a week telling them that I love and admire them.

• Every month I send out birthday cards to our family members; brothers, sisters, their spouses, their children, our children, our grandchildren with a note telling them how much we love them and how they make us proud.

• When I go out in the world, I practice patience. Long lines, people making mistakes, other drivers making poor choices. It takes patience for others, if you want patience for yourself.

• When I encounter those people who try my patience, I also practice kindness and empathy.

• I subscribe to the thought that everyone is going through something that we can't see and may never know and it doesn't matter - everyone deserves grace until they don't.

• Unless someone is hurting someone else, or doing something that could hurt me or someone I love or another living thing, I let people make their choices and live their lives as they choose. Everyone has to live with the consequences of their actions, choices, words, both good and bad.

• When bad things happen to me - I wish to live as a model for others. Instead of saying, "Why me?" I choose to say, "Why not me?"

• I try to do for others out of the goodness of my heart, not because I want something from them or I have an expectation of reciprocation.

• Compassion is a characteristic that feeds my soul. I want to save all the children and animals of the world.

• When I lay my head down at night I want to be proud of the way I lived that day.

• I want to be remembered for my generosity and my laughter.

• Seeing humor, in our human condition is more fun than being judgmental. I try to laugh at myself, instead of putting myself down. This is new for me and requires more work than some of the other things I do.

• I remind myself and others that teasing that makes everyone laugh is fun- Teasing that is hurtful (even if we mean well) is harmful.

• An apology goes a long way and one that contains some sort of atonement is even better.

• The words we speak aloud are important and should be used wisely, not wildly.

• None of us is getting out of here alive - making the most out of the one life (that we know of) we're given, living it to amass love and experiences and give love, rather than amassing things is a worthy way to live.

• Use complaining as a pressure valve, not a way of being and keep going with love and gratitude in my heart.