Whoops!

 Change is what life is all about. Nothing was ever meant to stay the same. But, as I have stated, many times, change is often difficult to accept. 

I have had people tell me that "giving up driving my car will kill me". Believe me, it won't. No one ever died, from not being able to drive. Not being able to adjust to change, however, could kill someone. Call a taxi, a friend or a relative. Ask for help. Use public transportation. You are still in control, when you make the choice.

Physical limitations are the pits. No one enjoys physical challenges, but not being able to play 18 holes of golf or ride a bike, is just part of getting older. Take up something less strenuous! And, if you can't do that, read a book, work a puzzle or knit. Move. You'll feel better in no time.

Some folks are vehement about staying in their own homes, even when safety is an issue. If you want to live happily ever after, move somewhere safe. Two-story homes are dangerous, if you have mobility issues. So, when you worry about not being able to keep your "stuff", remember that no one takes a U Haul with them, to the cemetery. You have the memories, you don't need the mementoes!

You cannot die from loneliness. It is devastating to lose a spouse or a job.  However, if you choose to moan and groan and feel sorry for yourself, you might decide to quit living...and you will. Instead of complaining of loneliness, do a kind deed for someone you care about. You will feel wanted and needed.

Life is full of changes. The folks who thrive and survive, accept life's changes. Some folks, believe it or not, find that change makes life worth living.

God: You are our constant. With Your help, everything, even change can be embraced. Our trust is in You..

And Beyond.......

 Grace and Beauty are ageless. Today, I was blessed to observe two dear and beautiful friends greet each other, with ageless Grace. Seeing them together reminded me that they had both celebrated milestone birthdays, this past year. They both turned 100 years old.

We have had several other centenarians at our facility. It shouldn't surprise you to know that they have all been women. Anyone who attempts to tell you that females, of our species, are the weaker sex, is grossly misinformed. I have known a great many 80, 90 and 100 year-old women, who are much stronger than you might imagine.

I have observed that women who live to ninety and beyond, have not lived charmed, easy or uneventful lives. But, all of them are survivors. Spend even a small amount of time, with any of them, and they will fill your heart with amazing stories.

They may not have flown bombers over Dresden, in World War II, but many of them worked in defense plants. They flew bombers to airfields for male pilots, or were aides to high ranking officers. They were war widows and war brides. They knitted socks and sweaters in shelters, during bombing raids. They raised children by themselves and they fed them Campbell's Soup Casseroles and tons of Jello.

They are my She-roes.

Dear God. We are blessed. We know You and You know us. We have limitations, but as we age, we are confident that You are always with us, whatever happens. You are our refuge and our strength.

".........................IS FEAR ITSELF"

That quote may sound familiar to you. It's attributed to Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and he used it, for the first time, in his 1933 Inaugural Address. "We have nothing to fear, but fear itself.", is his signature phrase. I don't think you'll find it on his tombstone, but people recognize it as "his words". (Actually, it appears that it was originally coined by Henry David Thoreau, decades earlier.

Jimmy Carter's signature phrase was, "A Leader for a Change." (An interesting slogan that can be interpreted in a couple of ways.) Barak Obama's phrase was, "Change We Can Believe In." And, of course Donald Trump used "Make America Great Again." It's interesting to remember that Ronald Reagan had a similar one. His was "Let's make America Great Again." Everything old is new again, it seems. 

The slogans or phrases, I like best, are the most original ones. Eisenhower's "I like Ike", was iconic (I couldn't resist the pun). Harry Truman had the best signature phrase, ever quoted, when he forcefully stated, "The Buck Stops Here."

Do you have a signature phrase? Is there something that you find yourself saying over and over, or at least muttering several times a day? Those words could be your signature phrase.

I think mine is  "There you go."  I use it more and more often now, because I am realizing that there is very little left in life that any of us can control!

Dear Lord. You are in control. Remind us to let go and let You lead us and teach us. We are Your clay. Mold us, in Your image.

The Written Word

 If there is one thing in this country that has literally (I am purposely using that word) gone to "hell in a handbasket", it is the Daily Newspaper.  In the good old U.S.A., the printed word is definitely a thing of the past. You live in a rare community, if someone continues to publish a newspaper, daily or weekly in your town.

The Kansas City Star, was once 2 different papers, published twice daily. There was actually enough news, sports and advertising, to fill 2 daily papers. By contrast, today's Kansas City Star only has two sections, each double folded, which makes the paper 8 pages in total. Take away the ever-present full-page ad, touting the sorry paper itself, and you have less than 7 pages of copy. In a town of over a million folks, that seems a bit thin, to me.

The paper is inches smaller, per page, than it used to be. The paper is thiner, too. It's just a little bitty thing. Not Gazette size yet, but the publisher may do that, tomorrow.

The Star keeps asking us to go digital, so they really don't want to print the paper, at all.

We pay dearly for the privilege of reading this sorry rag. Hundreds of dollars, yearly,  which is far too expensive, for this pitiful product. We know we are crazy for continuing to subscribe, but I still want to pull out a pen and work the NYT Crossword, and my husband wants to read the Sports Section. The price of the daily newspaper makes up the bulk of our entertainment expenses!

I noticed this morning that we do have a new feature in the old-fashioned, printed Star.....full color photos, in the "Pets for Sale" section in the ads. Now, I know our money is going to good use!

Dear Lord. Help me to be accepting of change. Life is a mystery.