Success Principles

A friend emailed this wonderful article to me and I thought it worthwhile to share it with as many of my good, old friends, whom I hope will adopt this wise philosophy shared by this author.

Enjoy reading, and most importantly, live it!

AGING GRACEFULLY
The other day a young person asked me how I felt about being old. I was
taken aback, for I do not think of myself as old. Upon seeing my reaction,
she was immediately embarrassed, but I explained that it was an interesting
question, and I would ponder it, and let her know.

Old Age, I decided, is a gift.
I am now, probably for the first time in my life, the person I have always
wanted to be. Oh, not my body! I sometimes despair over my body, the
wrinkles, the baggy eyes, and the sagging butt. And often I am taken aback
by that old person that lives in my mirror (who looks like my mother!), but
I don't agonize over those things for long.

I would never trade my amazing friends, my wonderful life, and my loving family
for less gray hair or a flatter belly. As I've aged, I've become more kind
to myself, and less critical of myself. I've become my own friend. I don't
chide myself for eating that extra cookie, or for not making my bed, or for
buying that silly cement gecko that I didn't need, but looks so avante garde
on my patio. I am entitled to a treat, to be messy, to be extravagant.
I have seen too many dear friends leave this world too soon; before they
understood the great freedom that comes with aging.
Whose business is it if I choose to read or play on the computer until 4 AM
and sleep until noon?

I will dance with myself to those wonderful tunes of the 60&70's, and if I,
at the same time, wish to weep over a lost love ... I will.

I will walk the beach in a swim suit that is stretched over a bulging body,
and will dive into the waves with abandon if I choose to, despite the
pitying glances from the jet set.

They, too, will get old.

I know I am sometimes forgetful. But there again, some of life is just as
well forgotten. And I eventually remember the important things.

Sure, over the years my heart has been broken. How can your heart not
break when you lose a loved one, or when a child suffers, or even when
somebody's beloved pet gets hit by a car? But broken hearts are what give
us strength and understanding and compassion. A heart never broken is
pristine and sterile and will never know the joy of being imperfect.

I am so blessed to have lived long enough to have my hair turning gray, and
to have my youthful laughs be forever etched into deep grooves on my face.
So many have never laughed, and so many have died before their hair could
turn silver.

As you get older, it is easier to be positive. You care less about what
other people think. I don't question myself anymore. I've even earned the
right to be wrong.

So, to answer your question, I like being old. It has set me free. I like
the person I have become. I am not going to live forever, but while I am
still here, I will not waste time lamenting what could have been, or
worrying about what will be. And I shall eat dessert every single day. (If
I feel like it)

MAY OUR FRIENDSHIP NEVER COME APART ESPECIALLY WHEN IT'S STRAIGHT FROM THE HEART!

MAY YOU ALWAYS HAVE A RAINBOW OF SMILES ON YOUR FACE AND IN YOUR HEART FOREVER AND EVER!

FRIENDS FOREVER!

26 July 2009 was an interesting that was most revealing.

It was the last Sunday of the month and Lions District 308B1 has designated this day as Loving Sunday where all Lions members, their families and friends are required to carry out a service project on a zonal basis.

Our zone which consists of 3 clubs, the Lions Clubs of KL North, KL South and KL Host were all present to serve the inmates of the Victory Home where 22 senior citizens aged 55 to 96 resides. KL North was represented by 27 persons consisting of members, Leos and family members while KL Host by 3 members and KL South by 5 members and family members.

This is a Catholic home that admits senior citizens regardless of their religious believes.

Each Lion was assigned to chat with an inmate to hear their life stories and assess what further help they needed to make their lives more comfortable.

I was assigned to a 72 year old lady named Leong Hooi Moi whose life was by any standard most saddening. Mdm Leong has a life that can make one cry.

She came from a small family of 5 - father, mother, sister and an adopted brother.

She only had one year of education and at the age of 9 she was already working in Ipoh as a baby sitter and maid. Married young and her only daughter died at the age of 10 of brain tumour and her husband also died in a road accident. She left Ipoh subsequently and worked in KL until her old age and was admitted to the Loke Yew Old Folks Home and subsequently moved to the current place.

Whe complained of knee pain and poor eye sights. Though burdened with so much problem she hardly complain and instead told me that she has converted to become a Catholic and adopted Jesus as her Lord. She has an interesting experience to share. She confided in me that everytime when her knees ache, she would pray to Jesus and the pain would ease. Also, she narrated an experience of crossing the road when the traffice was very heavy. She prayed to Jesus to slow down the trafic for her to cross and apparently her pray was answered to enable her to cross the road safely.

I asked her if she would like us to contact her brother and sister so that they could reunite and at least know of each other's whereabout. To this she explained that she doesn't know they are exactly and felt that she doesn't want to trouble them. She explained that she was happy where she is.

Despite of all her sufferings and tough life, she told me proudly that she lived with the principle that honesty is the best policy. As a house maid and baby sitter, she has not stolen any thing from her many employers and she value her track record. She told me that she have know fellow maids who were dishonest and wehn caught, couldn't or found it very difficult to get anotehr job later.

In serving to simple folks like Mdm Leong and the other inmates, we are blessed with experiences which remind us how lucky we are and how these simple folks have pride in having led a honest life.

Thus, whatever level our lives may be, let us be reminded that we are still so much fortunate than so many. Where we can make another person's life a little better, let us extend our hands and help lift them up, if it is only for a moment.

The inmates were entertained to a sumptuous lunch and entertained by some of us with some Cantonese oldies.

We left at a little past one and we could feel that the inmates were happy and invited us to visit them again.