Monday, April 16, 2007

Chad Schapiro: Bank Account

Bank Account
A 92-year-old, petite, well-poised and proud man, who is fully dressed each morning by eight o'clock, with his hair fashionably coifed and shaved perfectly, even though he is legally blind, moved to a nursing home today. His wife of 70 years recently passed away, making the move necessary.
After many hours of waiting patiently in the lobby of the nursing home, he smiled sweetly when told his room wasready.As he maneuvered his walker to the elevator, I provided a visual description of his tiny room, including the eyelet sheets that had been hung on his window.

"I love it," he stated with the enthusiasm of an eight-year-old having just been presented with a new puppy.

"Mr. Jones, you haven't seen the room; just wait."

"That doesn't have anything to do with it," he 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 bedrecounting the difficulty I have with the p arts 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 behappy:
1. Free your heart from hatred.
2. Free your mind from worries.
3 Live simply.
4. Give more.
5. Expect less.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

I LOVE IT! Thank you again.

Anonymous said...

I will own it to take this advice more freely. Thank you so much. I am thankful and Happy for all I have. MarkMDC

Unknown said...

Great advise. Thank you

Anonymous said...

Great message. It really makes you stop and think about all the grate things that are in your life rather than the unlikey things that has happened to you in the past.

Anonymous said...

re reading this again..reminds me again of how many good things I have deposited. Thank you!!

Anonymous said...

Jim said..."Oh yeah!!!I decice to enloy this ride. It's my choice to rejoice no matter what's the matter!Thanks for this...one of the most inspiring stories I've ever heard!!!"

Anonymous said...

Thank you. I do have a bank account and there is a lot of room left for deposits. Thank you. Francis