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. Old age is like a bank account ... you withdraw from what you've
put in. So, my advice to you would be to deposit a lot of happiness in
the bank account of memories. Thank you for your part in filling my
Memory Bank. I am still depositing."

Remember the five simple rules to be happy:

1. Free your heart from hatred.
2. Free your mind from worries.
3. Live simply.
4. Give more.
5. Expect less.

Pass this message to 7 people except you and me. You will receive a
miracle tomorrow.