Great Advice

It has been a lovely week with the Grandbabes.  But I was still ready to take them home.  Yes, age has set in.  And I am feeling it more and more each day.  Currently my knees have been killing me all the time.  It makes sleep even hard to come by.  But I knew this day was coming with having RA.  

It is funny but my aunt told me to rub WD-40 on my joints.  Funny thought but I imagine the massage does help and  oil is oil in a way.  My friends mom swore by having 3 golden raisins that had been soaked in rum for the cure to arthritis.  Of course I like raisins and rum is nice but I do not think that will help my joints.  Might help the way I feel though.  Old adages are interesting but more so I like thinking how they came about.  And there is a major difference between an adage and wisdom. 

I have a book here that I love to flip through and think about.  "Age of Wisdom: A Collection of Time-Tested Advice" by Natalie Parker is perfect for helping you remember to ground yourself in good advice every day.  I have several favorites in here.  "Make few promises and keep the ones you make" has been a standby my whole life.  I made sure College Girl understood this growing up.  I would do what I said I would do but sometimes the answer was a resounding maybe.  Instead of saying yes to something when I was unsure, I told her I was unsure but maybe.  It was not long before she would come to me with a different perspective.  Instead of "Mom I want!"  It would be "Mom would you be aware that I would like such and such if possible."   

Another quote is "Best friends are the  siblings God forgot to give us."  This goes along with my thought that family is what you make it.  Some your born into and others are chosen.  I have made the majority of my family.  Weather it  be Our Gentleman that we had for a short time (gosh, I still miss him so much) or grown women who still call me Mom from growing up as my daughter's friends.  Family is what you make it, what you want it to be and more so who you want it to be too.

I am glad that College Girl learned to "trust the process" when it has come to attending University.  Many times it is not the words being said in a lecture as the daily attending and doing that is what helps you learn the lesson.  Investing 6 years into learning and growing shows future employers that she understands that being there everyday is important.  

And my own words of wisdom?  Well you know what it is.  My own life motto.  "There is always time to DANCE!"  Why do I say that.  Because in dancing we feel joy.  Dancing helps us to remember to celebrate.  And dancing is great exercise both physically and mentally.

Natalie Parker collected statements from senior citizens across the United States who shared their stories, life lessons and advice for the next generations. I agree that their knowledge is invaluable and should be shared, especially in times like these. The handwritten letters have been coupled with photographs that are reflections of the past.  Each photograph transcends the viewer’s imagination into a distant and often forgotten time. I love that the background of the pages with photos are copies of the advice given in the original authors own handwriting.  I want to say thanks so to Natalie for sharing with me.  Oh and I think this would be a wonderful graduation gift.  What better than good advice as the next stage of life starts.