Be Happy, Life Is Good

On the Sunday just gone, my wife and I were about to set off to town to buy a new bed. As we were about to leave my wife took one last look at herself in the mirror to make sure she was happy with her hair. She complained a little about how she seemed to have grown a few extra grey hairs since the last time she looked, the day before. As she muttered on and on about this major discovery I felt I had to interject.

"Darling, you're not in a hospital bed breathing your last breaths of a long life. We have a roof over our heads and food in the fridge. We have a good life. If you found a lump in one of your breasts I would understand it, but it's really no great shakes. Try to concentrate on all the great stuff we have in our lives. A few extra grey hairs really aren't worth complaining about."

The fact of the matter is that it's quite normal to mark the passing of time with comments on inconsequential matters. However, set such matters against the really important things in life and it really isn't worth the breath expended to grumble about a few extra grey hairs.

There's a funny story about a young man who one day decides to enter a monastery. The young man is asked what he would like for breakfast every morning and asks for a cup of coffee and a slice of toast. He then takes an oath of silence which can only be broken in a case of emergency or at the end of every ten years. The boy sees no hardship in this as by nature he isn't the talkative type anyway. Oath taken, the boy is shown to his quarters for a lifetime of religious contemplation.

At the end of ten years, the young man is called into the Abbot's office and is asked if there is anything he would like to say.

"Yes sir." replies the young monk."Would it be at all possible to have a pat of butter on my toast at breakfast time please?" The Abbot agrees to the request and sends the monk back to his contemplation for another ten years.

A decade later, once again the monk is invited to the Abbot's office to speak. "Is there anything you would like to say?" he asked.

"Yes sir. Would it be at all possible to have a roundel of jam for my hot buttered toast at breakfast time please?" The Abbot agrees to the request and once more sends the monk back to his long period of contemplation.

Another ten years pass and once more the monk is invited to the Abbot's office to speak. "Is there anything you would like to say?" intones the Abbot.

"Yes sir. Would it be at all possible to have some milk to go with my coffee please?"

The Abbot stood and moved closer to the monk. The Abbot placed his comforting hands on the monk's shoulders and he gently spoke in a soft tone.

"You know, I really do not think you are cut out for this life of reclusion. You have been here for thirty years and you have done nothing but complain since you got here."

Personally, I am about ten kilos overweight, I've still got all my hair even though it is a little grey here and there......I could go on about all the physical changes I have duly noted over the passing of the years, but what for? I am very happily married, I have a good occupation writing and I want for nothing. In short, I have a good life and I am happy. Like everybody, I would like to still be young and have the same physical fitness and appearance of my youth, but I haven't and it is useless to vocally lament about that.

Be thankful for what you still have for as long as you have it and if you catch yourself dwelling too much on the negatives of getting old, think about how much worse it could be, and how much worse it will be one day. But for now, all is good and I am happy to go on and on about that all day long. Be happy, it's a good life.