What a day this was in 1982. I became a mother for the first time and my life changed for me forever. I only remember the day before as I sat down on my bed I felt wet, oh no I thought, "my water broke". I knew then, there was no time to prepare. You see, my baby was supposed to be born on June 24 and it was only June 8 so I still needed to get ready but I called the doctor who had me come in that evening and the labor began. I was an all night affair of incredible pain because I wanted to go natural. What was I thinking? around 5:00 am I wanted to push and there came out a beautiful baby girl with a lot of dark hair. Back then, you never knew the sex of your baby.If it was a boy, I wanted to named him William but if it was a girl I like Cristina and that is what we named her. It is weird to think that I am no longer married to the main character as part of our lives back then but it is what it is. Cristi was a sensation at the LDS hospital, the only baby who needed a hair cut, she did not only had hair but a lot of it. She is now still a sensation not only for the fact she is drop dead beautiful but also smart, educated, bold, assertive, talented, and passionate about parenting. She was born on a Wednesday and in those days you were pampered for a whole week after you had a baby. I came home with my bundle of joy that following Sunday... fast forward to my life today I was touched with another blogger who wrote: "when we reach our old age, and I don’t mean 40 or 50, although some would say that is old, I am talking about 90 to 100, which I hope all of you live to see. I was touched with the thought that when we look back at our lives at that age that we will look back and wish we had been happier, more grateful, and more willing to smile and be kind to others. We will wish we had enjoyed every moment that life brought our way, even the tough ones. We will wish we had loved more, and complained less. We will wish we had looked at the humor in life and allowed ourselves to laugh out loud more often, rather than being embarrassed at what people might think." And I want to add to that, We will wish I had stayed home and loved being a mother. We will wish we had not wasted so much time doing other things. etc. because the time comes and it does come so fast when your children have left the nest and you wish you had spent more quality time with them. That is my only regret! I found a great article written by a man who was 95 at the time he wrote it with his own instructions for people on how to live their lives. It really validated the thoughts I am having today.
Life’s Little Instructions (given by 95 year old William Snell in 1993)
Sing in the shower.
Treat everyone you meet like you want to be treated.
Watch the sunrise at least once a year.
Never refuse homemade brownies.
Strive for excellence not perfection.
Plant a tree on your birthday.
Learn three clean jokes.
Return borrowed vehicles with the gas tank full.
Never waste an opportunity to tell someone you love them.
Leave everything a little better then you found them.
Keep it simple.
Think big thoughts but relish small pleasures.
Become the most positive and enthusiastic person you know.
Be forgiving of yourself and others.
Say “thank you” a lot.
Say “please” a lot.
Avoid negative people.
Wear polished shoes.
Remember other people’s birthdays.
Commit yourself to constant improvement.
Have a firm handshake.
Send lots of Valentine cards, sign them.
Look people in the eye.
Be the first to say “hello”
Return all things you borrow.
Make new friends but cherish old ones.
Keep secrets.
Plant flowers every spring.
Have a dog.
Always accept an outstretched hand.
Stop blaming others.
Take responsibility for every area of your life.
Wave at kids on school buses.
Be there when people need you.
Don’t expect life to be fair.
Never underestimate the power of love.
Live your life as an exclamation, not an explanation.
Don’t be afraid to say “I made a mistake.”
Don’t be afraid to say “I don’t know.”
Compliment even small improvements.
Keep your promises no matter what.
Marry only for love.
Rekindle old friendships.
Count your blessings.
Call your mother.
And your dad too, if they happen to be alive.
What a great reminder to start our Monday off with! I know that my attitude will be much better this week having been reminded of the way I want to live my life. It is never too late to start!
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