Thursday, August 27, 2009

A Visit to my Aunt's House

I have often made reference to my Dad on this blog. One of the things I will always remember about dad was how positive and thankful He was as He got older, even in the most difficult times in life. This last weekend my hubby and I had a chance to get away for the weekend to Orlando and I asked him if he would mind going over to the East Coast of Florida to visit my Aunt Jean. Aunt Jean is my dad's only remaining sibling. I talk to her on the phone but have only visited her one time in the last year and a half.
We only had a few hours to spend with her but it was a little like being with my dad again, she is so much like him. Very independent but so inviting and happy to have a guest. I also noticed as we talked that although she has many physical challenges, that same positive and thankful attitude my dad always had.

We have so much to learn from that older generation - my aunt is almost 84. They have a very different look at life and adversity than most of us do. This is what I noticed and once again was reminded of how I want to be as I get older and become more and more an example to the next generation.

  • Focusing on what we have and not what we don't have - although almost blind and has experienced many losses, my aunt told me many many times how grateful she was for what she did have and how blessed she was
  • Everyday is a day to be treasured and enjoyed - Aunt Jean told me how much she just enjoys each day, being in her house, sitting in a certain little place each day, her yard and her neighbors.
  • Enjoying the people in your life - It was evident during our visit that every moment and word was enjoyed and she talked about others in her life you sensed the same joy of just having those in her life.
  • Take care of yourself - At 84 years old Aunt Jean does 30 minutes of exercise on her glider everyday.
We know these things are easier to do when you have more time and less years ahead of you but if we all applied just these 4 little principles to our lives a little more I believe our lives would be so much fuller and so much less stressful.

4 comments:

Chayil said...

I was trying hard to see a resemblance between her and Grandpa but sadly I can't :( Must just be the picture :( I'm glad that you had a nice visit. I love talking to older people at church. This one lady is over 80 and tells me the greatest stories of how when she was a teenager she left home with her young husband and they hitched rides on trains all the way to california...I love hearing the stories but most importantly hearing the lessons that she has learned :)

CoachK said...

She actually does look more like Grandpa as she is getting older. It is hard to tell in the picture though. Looking forward to Saturday!

betty said...

I thank the Lord for our familly, Kathy. The older I get, the more I value and treasure the familly. And we are blessed with such an amazing Godly bunch of familly! :)

CoachK said...

I totally agree with that Bettsy. It was fun to see Aunt Jean - she really does remind me so much of dad. She told me a few new stories I hadn't heard about when she was little. Remind me to tell you on Saturday.