One summer day, a petite and well-poised 92-year-old woman, who fully dressed herself, put on makeup and fashionably coiffed her hair before 8 am each morning, moved into a nursing home. Her husband of 70 years, a beloved pastor in their community, had recently passed away, making the move necessary.
After many hours of waiting patiently, she smiled sweetly when told her room was ready. As she maneuvered her walker to the elevator, her escort provided a visual description of her tiny room, including the eyelet sheet that had been hung on her window.
"I love it," she stated, with the enthusiasm of an 8-year-old who'd just received 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. How the room is arranged has nothing to do with whether or not I will like it ... it's how I have arranged my mind. I have already decided to love it!"
She went on to share, "Each morning when I wake up, I choose to be positive and work with what I have, not dwell on what I have lost. 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."
Just Between Us, Summer 2009
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