"IT'S A Great Day To Be Celebrating Life!"

Attending

Invited

I GOT THIS FROM A FRIEND HERE ON BON - I TOLD HIM TO POST IT HERE BUT SINCE HE DIDN'T... When an old man died in the geriatric ward of a nursing home in North Platte , Nebraska , it was believed that he had nothing left of any value. Later, when the nurses were going through his meager possessions, they found this poem. Its quality and content so impressed the staff that copies were made and distributed to every nurse in the hospital. One nurse took her copy to Missouri . The old man's sole bequest to posterity has since appeared in the Christmas edition of the News Magazine of the St. Louis Association for Mental Health. A slide presentation has also been made based on his simple, but eloquent, poem. And this little old man, with nothing left to give to the world, is now the author of this 'anonymous' poem winging across the Internet: *The Crabby Old Man * What do you see nurses? . .. . What do you see? What are you thinking . . . . . when you're looking at me? A crabby old man, . ... . . . . not very wise, Uncertain of habit .. . . . . . .with faraway eyes? Who dribbles his food . . .. . .and makes no reply . When you say in a loud voice ..'I do wish you'd try!' Who seems not to notice . . . .the things that you do . And forever is losing . . . . . . A sock or shoe? Who, resisting or not . . . . . lets you do as you will, With bathing and feeding . . . .The long day to fill? Is that what you're thinking?. . Is that what you see? Then open your eyes, nurse . . .you're not looking at me . I'll tell you who I am . . . . . . As I sit here so still, As I do at your bidding, .. . . . .as I eat at your will. I'm a small child of Ten .. . . .with a father and mother, Brothers and sisters . . . . .. . . who love one another. A young boy of Sixteen . . . . . with wings on his feet Dreaming that soon now . . . . . a lover he'll meet. A groom soon at Twenty . . . . .my heart gives a leap. Remembering, the vows . . . . ..that I promised to keep. At Twenty-Five, now . . . . . . . I have young of my own. Who need me to guide . . . . . .and a secure happy home. A man of Thirty . . . .. .. . . . . My young now grown fast, Bound to each other . . . . .. . . .With ties that should last. At Forty, my young sons .. . . .. have grown and are gone, But my woman's beside me. . . . to see I don't mourn. At Fifty, once more, . . . . . . . babies play 'round my knee, Again, we know children . . . . . My loved one and me. Dark days are upon me . . . . .. .my wife is now dead. I look at the future ... . . . . . and shudder with dread.. For my young are all rearing . .. young of their own. And I think of the years . . . . and the love that I've known. I'm now an old man . . . . . . . . and nature is cruel. Tis jest to make old age . . . . . look like a fool. The body, it crumbles . . . . . . grace and vigor, depart. There is now a stone . . . . . . where I once had a heart. But inside this old carcass . . . . a young guy still dwells, And now and again . . . .. .. . . . my battered heart swells. I remember the joys . . . . . . .. I remember the pain. And I'm loving and living. . . . . my life all over again. I think of the years, . . . . . . .all too few and gone too fast. And accept the stark fact . . . that nothing can last. So open your eyes, people. . . . open and see. Not a crabby old man. . . . . . . Look closer . . . . see ME!! Remember this poem when you next meet an older person who you might brush aside without looking at the young soul within ... If we live long enough, we will all, one day, be there, too! PLEASE SHARE THIS POEM: The best and most beautiful things of this world can't be seen or touched.. They must be felt by the heart. God Bless All who read this Poem Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass, it's about learning to dance in the rain!

Today's Message of the Day is: Life is short, Break the rules, Forgive quickly, Kiss slowly, Love truly, Laugh uncontrollably, And never regret anything that made you smile..

LIVE LAUGH LOVE ESPECIALLY ON YOUR BIRTHDAY!! :-)

When it gets tough we get tougher,

Happy Birthday To You Happy Birthday To You Happy Birthday

Me Too ... How are you all celebrating... DANN'S BIRTHDAY???

I MAY NOT BE GROWING OLD GRACEFULLY - AS A MATTER OF FACT I'M GOING KICKING AND SCREAMING EVERY INCH OF THE WAY - BUT WHAT A GREAT TIME I'M HAVING ALONG THE WAY

Yeah, Jules!!! I want to dance in the rain!!! I want to dance on the bar!!! I want to dance on the roof in my birthday ?????????

im ready to dance in the rain or on the bar....lets just dance!! lol

Love what you wrote, Harvester!!!! There are no guarantees...there's only today!!!!!! Enjoy the day!!!!!

Please read what Harvester of eyes has written

i heard this last night and it was perfect Life shouldn't be about learning to weather the storm, it should be about learning to dance in the rain

Wow how true.

READ THIS VERY SLOWLY.... IT'S PRETTY PROFOUND. Too many people put off something that brings them joy just because they haven't thought about it, don't have it on their schedule, didn't know it was coming or are too rigid to depart from their routine. I got to thinking one day about all those women on the Titanic who passed up dessert at dinner that fateful night in an effort to cut back. From then on, I've tried to be a little more flexible. How many women out there will eat at home because their husband didn't suggest going out to dinner until after something had been thawed? Does the word 'refrigeration' mean nothing to you? Because Americans cram so much into their lives, we tend to schedule our headaches. We live on a sparse diet of promises we make to ourselves when all the conditions are perfect! We'll go back and visit the grandparents when we get the kid toilet-trained. We'll entertain when we replace the living-room carpet.. We'll go on a second honeymoon when we get two more kids out of college. Life has a way of accelerating as we get older. The days get shorter, and the list of promises to ourselves gets longer. One morning, we awaken, and all we have to show for our lives is a litany of 'I'm going to,' 'I plan on,' and 'Someday, when things are settled down a bit.' When anyone calls my 'seize the moment' friend, she is open to adventure and available for trips. She keeps an open mind on new ideas. Her enthusiasm for life is contagious You talk with her for five minutes, and you're ready to trade your bad feet for a pair of Roller blades and skip an elevator for a bungee cord. My lips have not touched ice cream in 10 years. I love ice cream. It's just that I might as well apply it directly to my stomach with a spatula and eliminate the digestive process The other day, I stopped the car and bought a triple-Decker. If my car had hit an iceberg on the way home, I would have died happy. Now...go on and have a nice day. Do something you WANT to......not something on your SHOULD DO list. If you were going to die soon and had only one phone call you could make, who would you call and what would you say? And why are you waiting? Make sure you read this to the end; you will understand why I sent this to you. Have you ever watched kids playing on a merry go round or listened to the rain lapping on the ground? Ever followed a butter fly's erratic flight or gazed at the sun into the fading night? Do you run through each day on the fly? When you ask ' How are you?' Do you hear the reply? When the day is done, do you lie in your bed with the next hundred chores running through your head? Ever told your child, 'We'll do it tomorrow.' And in your haste, not see his sorrow? Ever lost touch? Let a good friendship die? Just call to say 'Hi? When you worry and hurry through your day, it is like an unopened gift....Thrown away.... Life is not a race Take it slower. Hear the music before the song is over. Show your friends how much you care. Send this to everyone you consider a FRIEND. If it comes back to you, then you'll know you have a circle of friends.

It gets shorter RJules, and every time one steps to you Jules and then steps back, it gets even shorter. Ridding the ride the rest of our lives is even better with the one you share it with. As we enter this page and share our thoughts, It is scary, the jungle, but with all the friends we meet on the way, each passage is a better day

We all have a choice in life...live in a negative way or jump out of bed each morning and tell yourself, this is going to be a wonderful day...no one or nothing is going to bring me down! Walking around with a smile on your face tends to freak people out...especially the downers! They hate it! I know in my heart that I am truly blessed! I have 2 terrific grown up children and 4 terrific grand children and now I'm venturing out to experience what the rest of the world has to offer. Having only starting to ride my bike at age 51, it truly has become one of the greatest joys of my life. I love unexplainable freedom one gets when that wind hits your face. I have had the opportunity to meet many great people and become friends with some of the most wonderful individuals one could only hope to meet! The only aspect of my life that is missing is a truly wonderful man to tell me he loves me and complete my life! Other than that...Life if Good, but very Short!!

Stay Young My Friends We all need to read this one over and over until it becomes part of who we are! HOW TO STAY YOUNG 1. Try everything twice. On one woman's tombstone she said she wanted this epitaph: "Tried everything twice.loved it both times!" 2. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down. (Keep this in mind if you are one of those grouches!) 3. Keep learning: Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever... Never let the brain get idle. 'An idle mind is the devil's workshop.' And the devil's name is Alzheimer's! 4. Enjoy the simple things. 5. Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath. And if you have a friend who makes you laugh, spend lots and lots of time with HIM/HER. 6. The tears happen: Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person who is with us our entire life, is ourselves. LIVE while you are alive. 7. Surround yourself with what you love: Whether it's family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever. Your home is your refuge. 8. Cherish your health: If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable, improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help. 9. Don't take guilt trips. Take a trip to the mall, even to the next county, to a foreign country, but NOT to where the guilt is. 10. Tell the people you love that you love them, at every opportunity. I love you, my special friend. 11. Forgive now those who made you cry. You might not get a second chance. And if you don't send this to at least 4 people - who cares? But do share this with someone. Remember! Lost time can never be found. Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle. ------------------------------------------------------------------

It does /// It Trully Does

If you wake up, life is good. Sept. 8th I celebrate life for the 54th year. For 38 of them I have enjoyed bikes and rock n roll with a real friend. 32 of those with my wife. Life just keeps getting better.

gotta love it!!!!

Big Smiles JOE... heheheh what a circle you are in, no beginning and NO END

some times you think you have had the best weekend of your life....... then the next weekend gets here.. and you say to yourself "self..what was i thinking?" "THIS" weekend was the best ever and hopefully that routine continues!!!

friends, harleys and rock and roll all in one day and for a good cause what's not to celebrate ?

Mad Welder Then do it... just do it

That's what I need to do start playing again. I got all this stuff and just don't get into it.

Rest In Peace less for you have done your job here, Thank you for filling mu soul with great CORDS

I can sit here all day and invite you one by one, which any one who knows me , know I will do that, Make it easy for me . Come and sit a spell enjoy the music , then get out and live your life with the smile in your heart and the bounce in your step

Celebrating our life is not a light thing to take, celebrating the jungle is even harder to do!

Life is way to short to have it taken for granted. We should live it, not waste it. Don't go through one day without a smile on your face or in your heart!!!

you're right ! it's time to get out there and really celebrate the best gift god gave us - life

Celebrating our life is not a light thing to take, celebrating the jungle is even harder to do

a random act of kindness and celebration !

LETS DO LIFE TOGETHER

Celebration Of Life