AND THEN IT IS WINTER...

You know. . . time has a way of moving quickly and catching you unaware of the passing years.

It seems just yesterday that I was young, just married and embarking on my new life with my mate. Yet in a way, it seems like eons ago, and I wonder where all the years went. I know that I lived them all. I have glimpses of how it was back then and of all my hopes and dreams. But here it is... the winter of my life and it catches me by surprise...How did I get here so fast? Where did the years go and where did my youth go?

I remember well seeing older people through the years and thinking that those older people were years away from me and that winter was so far off that I could not fathom it or imagine fully what it would be like. But here it is...my friends are retired and getting grey...they move slower, and I see an older person now. Some are in better and some worse shape than me... but, I see the great change... Not like the ones that I remember who were young and vibrant... but, like me, their age is beginning to show, and we are now those older folks that we used to see and never thought we'd be.

Each day now, I find that just getting a shower is a real target for the day! And taking a nap is not a treat anymore... it's mandatory! Cause if I don't on my own free will... I just fall asleep where I sit!

And so... now I enter into this new season of my life unprepared for all the aches and pains and the loss of strength and ability to go and do things that I wish I had done but never did!

But at least I know, that though the winter has come, and I'm not sure how long it will last... this I know... that when it's over on this earth... it's really NOT over. A new adventure will begin!

Yes, I have regrets. There are things I wish I hadn't done... things I should have done, but indeed, there are many things I'm happy to have done. It's all in a lifetime. So, if you're not in your winter yet, let me remind you, that it will be here faster than you think. So, whatever you would like to accomplish in your life, please do it quickly! Don't put things off too long!

Life goes by quickly. So, do what you can today, as you can never be sure whether this is your winter or not! You have no promise that you will see all the seasons of your life, so, live for today and say all the things that you want your loved ones to remember... and hope that they appreciate and love you for all the things that you have done for them in all the years past!

"Life" is a gift to you. The way you live your life is your gift to those who come after. Make it a fantastic one.

LIVE IT WELL! ENJOY TODAY! DO SOMETHING FUN! BE HAPPY! HAVE A GREAT DAY!

REMEMBER.... "It is health that is real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver.

"LIVE HAPPY IN THIS YEAR AND EVERY YEAR!

LASTLY, CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING:
TODAY IS THE OLDEST YOU'VE EVER BEEN, YET THE YOUNGEST YOU'LL EVER BE, SO ENJOY THIS DAY WHILE IT LASTS.

~Your kids are becoming you.......
~Going out is good. Coming home is better!
~You forget names.... But it's OK because other people forgot they even knew you!!!
~You realize you're never going to be really good at anything.
~The things you used to care to do, you no longer care to do, but you really do care that you don't care to do them anymore.
~You miss the days when everything worked with just an "ON" and "OFF" switch.

~You tend to use more 4 letter words ... "what?" "when?" "what?"
~Now that you can afford expensive jewelry, it's not safe to wear it anywhere.
~You notice everything they sell in stores is "sleeveless"?!!!
~What used to be freckles are now liver spots.
~Everybody whispers.
~You have 3 sizes of clothes in your closet.... 2 of which you will never wear.
~But Old is good in some things: Old Songs, Old movies, and best of all, OLD FRIENDS!!

A WOMAN ...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ....

Enough money within her control to move out...

And rent a place of her own

even if she never wants to

or needs to...

Something perfect to wear if the employer

or date of her dreams wants to See Her in an hour...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...

A youth she's content to leave behind....

A past juicy enough that she's looking forward to

retelling it in her Old Age....

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...

A set of screwdrivers,

a cordless drill, and a black lace bra...

One friend who always makes her laugh...

And one Who lets her cry...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ....

A good piece of furniture not previously owned

by anyone else in her Family...

Eight matching plates,

wine glasses with stems,

And a recipe for a meal that will make

her guests feel Honored...

A feeling of control over her destiny...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...

How to fall in love without losing herself

HOW TO QUIT A JOB,

BREAK UP WITH A LOVER,

AND CONFRONT A FRIEND WITHOUT

RUINING THE FRIENDSHIP...

When to try harder...

And WHEN TO WALK AWAY...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...

That she can't change the length of her calves,

The width of her hips,

or the nature of her parents..

That her childhood may not have been perfect...

But it's over...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...

What she would and wouldn't do for love or more...

How to live alone...

Even if she doesn't like it...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...

Whom she can trust,

Whom she can't,

And why she shouldn't take it personally...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...

Where to go...

Be it to her best friend's kitchen table...

Or a charming inn in the woods...

When her soul needs soothing...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...

What she can and can't accomplish in a day...

A month...

And a year...

Written by Pamela Redmond Satran

10 THINGS TIME HAS TAUGHT ME (Donna Ashworth)

1. Most of our life is spent chasing false goals and worshipping false ideals. The day you realise that is the day you really start to live.

2. You really, truly cannot please all of the people all of the time. Please yourself first and your loved ones second, everyone else is busy pleasing themselves anyway, trust me.

3. Fighting the ageing process is like trying to catch the wind. Go with it, enjoy it. Your body is changing, but it always has been. Don’t waste time trying to reverse that, instead change your mindset to see the beauty in the new.

4. Nobody is perfect and nobody is truly happy with their lot. When that sinks in you are free of comparison and free of judgement. It’s truly liberating.

5. No one really sees what you do right, everyone sees what you do wrong. When that becomes clear to you, you will start doing things for the right reason and you will start having so much more fun.

6. You will regret the years you spent berating your looks, the sooner you can make peace with the vessel your soul lives in, the better. Your body is amazing and important but it does not define you.

7. Your health is obviously important but stress, fear and worry are far more damaging than any delicious food or drink you may deny yourself. Happiness and peace are the best medicine.

8. Who will remember you and for what become important factors as you age. Your love and your wisdom will live on far longer than any material thing you can pass down. Tell your stories, they can travel farther than you can imagine.

9. We are not here for long but if you are living against the wind it can feel like a life-sentence. Life should not feel like a chore, it should feel like an adventure.

10. Always, always, drink the good champagne and use the things you keep for ‘best.’ Tomorrow is guaranteed to no one. Today is a gift that’s why we call it the present. Eat, Drink & Be Merry.

https://www.actbiggy.com/waitress-fired-for-refusing-to-share-4400-tip/

❤️ They call us ”The Elderly” ❤️

We were born in the 40’s-50’s-60’s.

We grew up in the 50’s-60’s-70’s.

We studied in the 60’s-70’s-80’s.

We were dating in the 70’s-80’s-90’s.

We got married and discovered the world in the 70’s-80’s-90’s.

We venture into the 80’s-90’s.
We stabilize in the 2000’s.
We got wiser in the 2010’s.
And we are going firmly through and beyond 2020.

Turns out we’ve lived through EIGHT different decades...

TWO different centuries...
TWO different millennia...

We have gone from the telephone with an operator for long-distance calls to video calls to anywhere in the world.
We have gone from slides to YouTube, from vinyl records to online music, from handwritten letters to email and Whats App.

From live matches on the radio, to black and white TV, color TV and then to 3D HD TV. We went to the Video store and now we watch Netflix.
We got to know the first computers, punch cards, floppy disks and now we have gigabytes and megabytes on our smartphones.

We wore shorts throughout our childhood and then long trousers, Oxfords, flares, shell suits & blue jeans.

We dodged infantile paralysis, meningitis, polio, tuberculosis, swine flu and now COVID-19.

We rode skates, tricycles, bicycles, mopeds, petrol or diesel cars and now we drive hybrids or electric.

Yes, we’ve been through a lot but what a great life we’ve had!

They could describe us as “exennials;” people who were born in that world of the fifties, who had an analog childhood and a digital adulthood.

We’ve kind of “Seen-It-All!”

Our generation has literally lived through and witnessed more than any other in every dimension of life.

It is our generation that has literally adapted to “CHANGE.”
A big round of applause to all the members of a very special generation, which will be UNIQUE.

-Author unknown

THE ART OF AGEING GRACEFULLY

Think about it, you have EARNED this face.
Every line, a laugh shared.
Every wrinkle, a year survived.
Every age spot, a day that the sun shone on you.

Some women believe that as they age, they LOSE their looks.

Oh, my friends, how wrong this is.
A beautiful young woman is a happy accident of nature but a beautiful older woman?
She is a work of art.

The Japanese have a practice whereby they fill any broken objects with gold, believing that something which is broken has earned its beauty and should be celebrated and decorated rather than discarded.

I feel this way about women.

It took a long time to find out who you really truly are. A long time. The acceptance that old age brings is freeing. It brings with it peace and happiness.
Everyone knows, happiness looks good on us all.

Your body has been changing since the day you were born and will continue till the day you depart. Ride with it, accept it, embrace it. Be amazed by it.
Allow your face to represent your life, your stories, your joys.

Why choose to be an older woman fervently chasing youth, when you could be that older women who knows what she is worth and has earned every minute of her hard-won self-acceptance.

The trick with ageing successfully, my friend, is to pay as little attention to it as possible.

my visitors...

Patience visited me

And it reminded me

That good things take time to come to fruition

And grow slowly with stability

Peace visited me

And it reminded me

That I may remain calm through the storms of life

Regardless of the chaos surrounding me

Hope visited me

And it reminded me

That better times lay ahead

And it would always be there to guide and uplift me

Humility visited me

And it reminded me

That I may achieve it

Not by trying to shrink myself and make myself less

But by focusing on serving the world and uplifting those around me

Kindness visited me

And it reminded me

To be more gentle, forgiving and compassionate toward myself

And those surrounding me

Confidence visited me

And it reminded me

To not conceal or suppress my gifts and talents

In order to make others feel more comfortable

But to embrace what makes me me

Focus visited me

And it reminded me

That other people’s insecurities and judgments about me

Are not my problem

And I should redirect my attention

From others back to me

Freedom visited me

And it reminded me

That no one has control over my mindset, thoughts and well being

But me

And love visited me

And it reminded me

That I need not search for it in others

As it lies within me.

Words by Tahlia Hunter

IF I HAD MY LIFE TO LIVE OVER

by Erma Bombeck

I would have talked less and listened more.
I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained and the sofa faded.
I would have eaten the popcorn in the "good" living room and worried much less about the dirt when someone wanted to light a fire in the fireplace.
I would have taken the time to listen to my grandfather rambling about his youth.
I would never have insisted the car windows be rolled up on a summer day because my hair had just been teased and sprayed.
I would have burned the pink candle sculpted like a rose before it melted
in storage.
I would have sat on the lawn with my children and not worried about grass stains.
I would have cried and laughed less while watching television, and more
while watching life.
I would have gone to bed when I was sick, instead of pretending the earth would go into a holding pattern if I weren't there for the day.
I would never have bought anything just because it was practical, wouldn't show soil or was guaranteed to last a lifetime.
Instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy, I'd have cherished every moment, realising that the wonderment growing inside me was the only chance in life to assist God in a miracle.
When my kids kissed me impetuously, I would never have said, "Later. Now go get washed up for dinner."
There would have been more "I love you's" and more "I'm sorry's", but mostly, given another shot at life, I would seize every minute... look at it and really see it... and never give it back.