Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Hip Replacement

Well, I’ve been laid up for a couple of weeks and so I haven’t been writing.  I had my other hip replaced, and they say you can’t compare surgeries, but how can you not?  Anyway this one has been a little harder, or at least from what I remember.  Although I no longer have the pain in my hip and leg that I was suffering through. It has been harder to come back and do the rehab.  What  I find interesting, when you have something like this come up in your life, is how it affects the people around you.  That’s where one of the difference in the surgeries comes in, not the surgery, but the people around you during recovery. 

I have always been very blessed to have such good people around me, and this summer is no different.  Eti decided not to work the paint crew this summer, and so he has been home with me helping.  I am amazed at his patience.  I am not an easy person, and he is so good to come when I summon and do what I need.  My children have also been very good to help although you can see that some of them are not as willing to help.  What most people don’t realize in their eagerness to help, is that I usually just want someone to visit with me and do my little projects with me.  I have appreciated the food that has come in and have needed it and loved it, but I have LOVED those folks who have been willing to come and spend some of their time with me.

I find that in this world of rush and hurry “time” is one of the greatest commodities we have.  It also seems to be one of those things that we are willing to give up.  We need our “personal” time.  I believe that if more of us, me included, would spend more time visiting those people around us, neighbors, friends, associates, etc. we would create a more rewarding existence.  Many times I have told my students and my children, when we leave this life, all we’ll take with us is our knowledge and our relationships.  We should work on both in this life.

Monday, June 4, 2012

Staying Young


This past week we went to Disneyland with our grandkids. If that doesn’t keep you young, I don’t know what will.  Anyway more on that, but I found this somewhere.  I tried to find the author but didn’t have any success.  I thought it had some pretty good advice that we could all use to help us enjoy our upcoming “golden years.” 

How to stay young.

1. Throw out nonessential numbers.  This includes age, weight, height.  Let the doctors worry about them, that’s why you pay them.

Keep only cheerful friends.  The grouches pull you down.  (I think this is a big one.  You’ve got to have someone that makes you laugh and laugh hard.  See number 5)

3. Keep learning.  Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever.  Never let the brain idle.

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 beyo9nd what you can improve, get help

9.  Don’t take guilt trips.  Take a trip to the mall, even 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 breathes we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.