My sister-in-law shared this post on Facebook. I find the woman in this story is the essence of dignity and true gratitude. What if we all decided to "arrange our minds" to appreciate the good in life. So much of how we see our world depends on choice. We can choose to be unhappy or we can choose to be positive and appreciative, no matter where we find ourselves, or what our circumstance. I don't know about you, but when I grow up (and I hope I will--quickly) I want to be just like this lady!
This is the story of a 92-year-old, petite, well-poised and proud lady. She is fully
dressed each morning by eight o’clock, with her hair fashionably coiffed
and makeup perfectly applied, even
though she is legally blind. She moved to a nursing home today. Her husband
of 70 years recently passed away, making the move necessary.
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.”
She went on to explain, “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.”
And with a smile, she said: “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.
Shared by John at Suspended Coffees There is absolutely nothing I can add to that. Have a wonderful, happy day! 
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