Appreciation

Three Tulips by Thomas Mann

Appreciate those who you are with now, rather than waiting until they are gone.

Thomas Hardy (1840 -1928) was a 19th Century poet that wrote a piece that expresses the importance of not waiting. The poem is entitled, "An Upbraiding". It should send a beautiful and important message to each and everyone of us as we look at those whom we live with, perhaps having some difficulty in understanding why they are so different from us.

Thomas Hardy reminds us so poetically to appreciate them now. Don't wait.

An Upbraiding
by Thomas Hardy

Now I am dead you sing to me
The songs we used to know,
But while I lived you had no wish
Or care for doing so.

Now I am dead you come to me
In the moonlight, comfortless;
Ah, what would I have given alive
To win such tenderness!

When you are dead, and stand to me
Not differenced, as now,
But like again, will you be cold
As when we lived, or how?

Thomas Hardy is saying to let go of your coldness and replace it with warmth. Let go of your judgement and replace it with acceptance. Live now and enjoy the person in this moment. Don't wait until it's too late.

Old Person Pride

To an almost old person,


I never really liked the terminology "Old Person" but this makes me feel better about it.

OLD PERSON PRIDE


Old People are easy to spot at sporting events; during the playing of the National Anthem. Old People remove their caps and stand at attention and sing without embarrassment. They know the words and believe in them.

Old People remember World War II, Pearl Harbor, Guadalcanal, Normandy and Hitler. They remember the Atomic Age, the Korean War, The Cold War, the Jet Age and the Moon Landing. They remember the 50 plus Peacekeeping Missions from 1945 to 2005, not to mention Vietnam.

If you bump into an Old Person on the sidewalk he will apologize, If you pass an Old Person on the street, he will nod or tip his cap to a lady. Old People trust strangers and are courtly to women.

Old People hold the door for the next person and always when walking, make certain the lady is on the inside for protection.

Old People get embarrassed if someone curses in front of women and children and they don't like any filth or dirty language on TV or in movies.

Old People have moral courage and personal integrity. They seldom brag unless it's about their children or grandchildren.

It's the Old People who know our great country is protected, not by politicians, but by the young men and women in the military serving their country.

This country needs Old People with their work ethic, sense of responsibility, pride in their country and decent values.

We need them now more than ever.

Thank God for Old People

Pass this on to all of the "Old People" you know.

I was taught to respect my elders. It's just getting harder to find them.