Too Soon Old, Too Late Smart

Aging and Physical Challenges

will

accept gracefully and positively the challenges -- do

all I can to improve the situation, and accept what I

cannot.

Clara Hinton, Shanksville, Pennsylvania

My father gave and lived the best example I've ever

seen -- He was a heart patient, stroke victim -- lost use

of his right hand (yes, he was right handed), back

surgery, several other surgeries, and died of stomach

cancer. He worked on cars, mowed grass (mine

included), repaired practically everything, and walked

everyday (even my son, Nathan at 16 had a hard time

keeping pace). Doctors said to slow down, we fussed

-- His comment -- "Did you want me to sit here and wait

to die?" As long as there's life, fight. He worked harder

and fought harder after his handicaps than most do full

bodied. You can always do more than you think you

can. Go for it! You've got nothing to lose and

everything to gain.

There's nothing you can do about age -- you can

change hair color, eye color, weight, etc., but you're still

as old as you are, so accept it! Enjoy each phase you

go through, learn from it, grow from it. Be able to look

back occasionally with good memories, look forward to

more memories, but always live today! That's all we

really have, anyway. Appreciate the beauty around

you, the many various people you touch each day, and

think about "getting old" around 85 or so! Then decide

to wait a few years after that to get old --

the good

Lord allows.

Vicki Ironside, Alexander, Arkansas