I Have Learned

I've learned... That the best classroom in the world is at the feet of a wise person - young or old.
I've learned... That when I love my husband, I feel peaceful.
I've learned... That just one person saying to me, 'You've made my day!' makes my day.
I've learned... That having a child fall asleep in my arms is one of the most peaceful feelings in the world.
I've learned... That being kind is more important than being right.
I've learned... That I should never say no to a gift from a child.
I've learned... That I can always pray for someone when I don't have the strength to help him in some other way.
I've learned... That no matter how serious my life requires me to be, I need friends to act goofy with.
I've learned... That sometimes all a person needs is a hand to hold and a heart to understand.
I've learned... That simple walks with my father when I was a child does wonders for me as an adult.
I've learned... That my life is like a roll of toilet paper. The closer my life gets to its end, the faster it is going.
I've learned... That I should be glad God doesn't give me everything I ask for.
I've learned... That money doesn't buy "class."
I've learned... That it's those small daily happenings that make my life so spectacular.
I've learned... That under everyone's hard shell is someone who wants to be appreciated and loved.
I've learned... That to ignore the facts does not change the facts.
I've learned... That when I plan to get even with someone, I am only letting that person continue to hurt me.
I've learned... That love, not time, heals all my wounds.
I've learned... That the easiest way for me to grow as a person is to surround myself with people smarter than I am.
I've learned... That everyone I meet deserves to be greeted with a smile.
I've learned... That no one is perfect. I can love them anyway.
I've learned... That life is tough, but I'm tougher.
I've learned... That I love my children and children-in-law completely.
I've learned... That opportunities are never lost; someone will take the ones I miss.
I've learned... That when I harbor bitterness, happiness will dock elsewhere.
I've learned... That I'm glad I told my Mom that I love her one more time before she passed away.
I've learned... That I should keep my words both soft and tender, because tomorrow I may have to eat them.
I've learned... That a smile is an inexpensive way to improve my looks.
I've learned... That when each newly born grandchild holds my little finger in his little fist, that I'm hooked for life.
I've learned... That we want to live problem-free, yet the happiness and growth occurs while we're wrestling challenges.
I've learned... That I get a lot of things done even if it doesn't show.

How to Stay Young

1. Throw out non-essential numbers. This includes age, weight and height.
Let the doctor worry about them. That is why you pay him/her.

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, 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.

- George Carlin

Woman

"One is not born a woman, one becomes one."
- Simone de Beauvoir