I am a 61 year old, father of two boys and have been happily married for 33 years. I have been a Physical Education teacher and coach for 38 years and have loved EVERY minute of it. I enjoy making people laugh and feel good about themselves. It’s fun collecting inspiring and heartwarming stories.from people. So, if you have a good story…let me know! I hope you enjoy my page!! :)
Remember:
Everyone is fighting a battle that you know nothing about.
Be kind.
Always.
My father passed away two weeks before Christmas last year and my mother passed away a week before Christmas 11 years ago. There is not a day that goes by that I don’t think of them and remember the good times that we used to share. The smiles, hugs, kisses, laughs and other special times that we would have together are gone, but my memories of them will always be with me.
A few days ago, I came across the following article that really made me think about people and what they are thinking when they are in their last days. Generally speaking, both of my parents told me that they had no real, big regrets about their life. But sad to say, there are many people who have MANY regrets when their life is coming to a close.
It is my hope that the following story which I read on inspirationandchai.com, will touch your heart the same way it touched mine.
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For many years I worked in palliative care. My patients were those who had gone home to die. Some incredibly special times were shared. I was with them for the last three to twelve weeks of their lives.
People grow a lot when they are faced with their own mortality. I learnt never to underestimate someone’s capacity for growth. Some changes were phenomenal. Each experienced a variety of emotions, as expected, denial, fear, anger, remorse, more denial and eventually acceptance. Every single patient found their peace before they departed though, every one of them.
When questioned about any regrets they had or anything they would do differently, common themes surfaced again and again. Here are the most common five:
1. I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.
This was the most common regret of all. When people realize that their life is almost over and look back clearly on it, it is easy to see how many dreams have gone unfulfilled. Most people had not honored even a half of their dreams and had to die knowing that it was due to choices they had made, or not made.
It is very important to try and honor at least some of your dreams along the way. From the moment that you lose your health, it is too late. Health brings a freedom very few realize, until they no longer have it.
2. I wish I didn’t work so hard.
This came from every male patient that I nursed. They missed their children’s youth and their partner’s companionship. Women also spoke of this regret. But as most were from an older generation, many of the female patients had not been breadwinners. All of the men I nursed deeply regretted spending so much of their lives on the treadmill of a work existence.
By simplifying your lifestyle and making conscious choices along the way, it is possible to not need the income that you think you do. And by creating more space in your life, you become happier and more open to new opportunities, ones more suited to your new lifestyle.
3. I wish I’d had the courage to express my feelings.
Many people suppressed their feelings in order to keep peace with others. As a result, they settled for a mediocre existence and never became who they were truly capable of becoming. Many developed illnesses relating to the bitterness and resentment they carried as a result.
We cannot control the reactions of others. However, although people may initially react when you change the way you are by speaking honestly, in the end it raises the relationship to a whole new and healthier level. Either that or it releases the unhealthy relationship from your life. Either way, you win.
4. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.
Often they would not truly realise the full benefits of old friends until their dying weeks and it was not always possible to track them down. Many had become so caught up in their own lives that they had let golden friendships slip by over the years. There were many deep regrets about not giving friendships the time and effort that they deserved. Everyone misses their friends when they are dying.
It is common for anyone in a busy lifestyle to let friendships slip. But when you are faced with your approaching death, the physical details of life fall away. People do want to get their financial affairs in order if possible. But it is not money or status that holds the true importance for them. They want to get things in order more for the benefit of those they love. Usually though, they are too ill and weary to ever manage this task. It is all comes down to love and relationships in the end. That is all that remains in the final weeks, love and relationships.
5. I wish that I had let myself be happier.
This is a surprisingly common one. Many did not realize until the end that happiness is a choice. They had stayed stuck in old patterns and habits. The so-called ‘comfort’ of familiarity overflowed into their emotions, as well as their physical lives. Fear of change had them pretending to others, and to their selves, that they were content. When deep within, they longed to laugh properly and have silliness in their life again.
When you are on your deathbed, what others think of you is a long way from your mind. How wonderful to be able to let go and smile again, long before you are dying.
Life is a choice. It is YOUR life. Choose consciously, choose wisely, choose honestly. Choose happiness.
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Based on this article, Bronnie has now released a full length book titled The Top Five Regrets of the Dying – A Life Transformed by the Dearly Departing. It is a memoir of her own life and how it was transformed through the regrets of the dying people she cared for. This inspiring book is available internationally through Hay House.
I never dreamed that I EVEY would have over 50,000 people visit my blog. I am so thankful for each and every one of you. I hope that every has enjoyed the material that I post and that in some way, it makes your days a little happier!
WOW! I am truly honored and grateful for my friend at littlewritingsblog.wordpress.com for nominating my site for the “2013 Blog of the Year Award.” I would strongly suggest that you visit their blog page. It is chock-filled with inspiring, interesting and heartwarming articles that will make your day!!
I would also like to mention and nominate a few other friends of mine that have fabulous blog pages for this award. If you have a moment, please take some time and visit their sites. At this time, I will now recognize the following sites…
Please accept this award and pass it on to those you want. Just copy the award and place it on your page and post with a link back to the blogger who nominated you and inform those whom you’ve nominated to do the same.
A police officer found a perfect hiding place for watching for speeding motorists.
One day, the officer was amazed when everyone was under the speed limit, so he investigated and found the problem.
A 10 years old boy was standing on the side of the road with a huge hand painted sign which said “Radar Trap Ahead.”
A little more investigative work led the officer to the boy’s accomplice: another boy about 100 yards beyond the radar trap with a sign reading “TIPS” and a bucket at his feet full of change.
It has always fascinated me how much money people spend on cosmetics, plastic surgeries, and numerous other procedures, just to make themselves look good. The thing that a lot of people don’t understand is that REAL beauty comes from within. As we all age, we must always try to remember that OUTWARD beauty is truly skin-deep. Real beauty, that stuff that were all truly made of, comes from our heart and soul…and THAT is the most important thing.
The following Beauty Tips were found on vielouis-stories.blogspot.com and serve as fantastic reminder to all of us, what the beautiful things in our lives should be.
For attractive lips, speak words of kindness. For beautiful eyes, look for the good in other people.
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To lose weight, let go of stress, hatred, anger, contentment and the need to control others.
To improve your ears, listen to the word of God. Rather than focus on the thorns of life, smell the roses and count your blessings, giving thanks for each one of them.
For poise, walk with knowledge and self-esteem. To strengthen your arms, hug at least 3 people a day. Touch someone with your love.
To strengthen your heart, forgive yourself and others. Don’t worry and hurry so much.
Rather than walk this earth lightly, walk firmly with determination and leave your mark.
For the ultimate in business, casual or evening attire put on the robe of Christ; it fits like a glove but allows room for growth. Best of all, it never goes out of style and is appropriate for any occasion.
Doing these things on a daily basis will certainly make you a more beautiful person.
Peace Is Not The Absence Of Trouble But The Presence of God
There have been many attempts over the years to explain away the coincidences below, almost to the point of contention by some writers. Those who go to such an extent are missing the point that most people do understand these are just coincidences, but nevertheless still find them interesting. We get that they’re just coincidence, and often the circumstances surrounding them were completely different.
When two people meet, for example, and find they share the same birthday, they certainly realize it is purely coincidence… but is there harm in marveling at such coincidence anyway?
The list below does contain some true coincidences between Presidents Lincoln and Kennedy. Are they unnatural or beyond mere coincidence? No. But do people still find them interesting? The longevity of the list is a resounding yes.
So without further adieu, we present the list of Lincoln-Kennedy coincidences, and our score of the accuracy of each one. We’ll assign a true, false, or mixed/misleading label to each and tally them up at the end. Keep in mind that the list has seen slight variations over the years, and we’ve tried to include the most popular ones being circulated today.
We’re not trying to explain why the following coincidences might exist or angrily insist that “Johnson” is a common name, for example. Most people realize that being born 100 years apart or having a common-named VP aren’t extraordinary coincidences. We also realize that the circumstances surrounding many of the coincidences are vastly different. Our goal here, however, is to merely keep score and let the reader decide if they find anything impressive or not.
Abraham Lincoln was elected to Congress in 1846. John F. Kennedy was elected to Congress in 1946. True
Lincoln failed to win the Vice Presidential nomination in 1856. Kennedy failed to win the Vice Presidential nomination in 1956. True
Abraham Lincoln was elected President in 1860. John F. Kennedy was elected President in 1960. True
Both were with their wives when they were assassinated. True
Lincoln defeated Stephen Douglas who was born in 1813. Kennedy defeated Richard Nixon who was born in 1913. True
Both were particularly concerned with civil rights. Mixed.
Civil rights is an issue all presidents face, so it is debatable if these two presidents’ civil rights agendas were extraordinary.
Both wives lost children while in the White House. True
Both Presidents were shot on a Friday. True
Both Presidents were shot in the head. True
Lincoln’s secretary was named Kennedy. Kennedy’s secretary was named Lincoln. False. There is no evidence that Lincoln had a secretary named Kennedy.
Both were assassinated by Southerners. False. John Wilkes Booth was a Confederate spy and sympathizer, but he was from Maryland.
Both were succeeded by Southerners. True
Both Presidents had Vice Presidents named Johnson. True.
Lincoln’s Vice President was called Andrew Johnson who served in the House of Representatives in 1847.
Kennedy’s Vice President was called Lyndon Johnson who served in the House of Representatives in 1947. Misleading.
Johnson served in the House from 1843 through 1853. Johnson’s House tenure lasted from 1937-1949. There is no clear correlation between their dates of service nor their election to the House. They were both in the House in ’43 through ’49 if you want to be specific on the years they “overlapped” but even that is misleading.
Andrew Johnson, who succeeded Lincoln, was born in 1808. Lyndon Johnson, who succeeded Kennedy, was born in 1908. True.
John Wilkes Booth, who assassinated Lincoln, was born in 1839. Lee Harvey Oswald, who assassinated Kennedy, was born in 1939. False
Booth was born in 1838.
Both assassins were known by the three names. Both names are composed of fifteen letters. Mixed
Both assassins are now known by their three names, but neither was during his lifetime. Both full names do contain 15 letters.
Lincoln was shot at the theater called “Ford.” Kennedy was shot in a car named “Lincoln”, made by Ford. True
Booth ran from the theater and was caught in a warehouse.
Oswald ran from a warehouse and was caught in a theater. Mixed.
It’s a stretch to call the barn at which Booth was caught at “warehouse.”
Booth and Oswald were assassinated before their trials. True
The use of the word “assassinated” is a stretch. “Killed” would have sufficed.
A week before Lincoln was shot, he was in Monroe Maryland. A week before Kennedy was shot, he was with Marilyn Monroe. False
Marilyn Monroe died over a year before Kennedy’s assassination, and it’s unclear if a “Monroe, Maryland” has ever existed. This coincidence appears to be a later addition to the list above.
Final Score
True: 13
False: 5
Mixed or Misleading: 4
There are many times that we feel “beat up”, insignificant and worthless. We focus so much of our time and energy of what we think other people think and say about us, that we sometimes we forget the most important thing…how we feel about OURSELVES…despite what others say. Today’s story is a beautiful example of how we should feel about ourselves.
The Wemmicks were small wooden people. Each of the wooden people was carved by a woodworker named Eli. His workshop sat on a hill overlooking their village.
Every Wemmick was different. Some had big noses, others had large eyes. Some were tall and others were short. Some wore hats, others wore coats. But all were made by the same carver and all lived in the village.
And all day, every day, the Wemmicks did the same thing: They gave each other stickers. Each Wemmick had a box of golden star stickers and a box of gray dot stickers. Up and down the streets all over the city, people could be seen sticking stars or dots on one another.
The pretty ones, those with smooth wood and fine paint, always got stars. But if the wood was rough or the paint chipped, the Wemmicks gave dots.
The talented ones got stars, too. Some could lift big sticks high above their heads or jump over tall boxes. Still others knew big words or could sing very pretty songs. Everyone gave them stars.
Some Wemmicks had stars all over them! Every time they got a star it made them feel so good that they did something else and got another star.
Others, though, could do little. They got dots.
Punchinello was one of these. He tried to jump high like the others, but he always fell. And when he fell, the others would gather around and give him dots.
Sometimes when he fell, it would scar his wood, so the people would give him more dots.
He would try to explain why he fell and say something silly, and the Wemmicks would give him more dots.
After a while he had so many dots that he didn’t want to go outside. He was afraid he would do something dumb such as forget his hat or step in the water, and then people would give him another dot. In fact, he had so many gray dots that some people would come up and give him one without reason.
“He deserves lots of dots,” the wooden people would agree with one another. “He’s not a good wooden person.”
After a while Punchinello believed them. “I’m not a good wemmick,” he would say.
The few times he went outside, he hung around other Wemmicks who had a lot of dots. He felt better around them.
One day he met a Wemmick who was unlike any he’d ever met. She had no dots or stars. She was just wooden. Her name was Lulia.
It wasn’t that people didn’t try to give her stickers; it’s just that the stickers didn’t stick. Some admired Lulia for having no dots, so they would run up and give her a star. But it would fall off. Some would look down on her for having no stars, so they would give her a dot. But it wouldn’t stay either.
“That’s the way I want to be,” thought Punchinello. “I don’t want anyone’s marks.” So he asked the stickerless Wemmick how she did it.
“It’s easy,” Lulia replied. “Every day I go see Eli.”
“Eli?”
“Yes, Eli. The woodcarver. I sit in the workshop with him.”
“Why?”
“Why don’t you find out for yourself? Go up the hill. He’s there.” And with that the Wemmick with no marks turned and skipped away.
“But he won’t want to see me!” Punchinello cried out. Lulia didn’t hear. So Punchinello went home. He sat near a window and watched the wooden people as they scurried around giving each other stars and dots. “It’s not right,” he muttered to himself. And he resolved to go see Eli.
He walked up the narrow path to the top of the hill and stepped into the big shop. His wooden eyes widened at the size of everything. The stool was as tall as he was. He had to stretch on his tiptoes to see the top of the workbench. A hammer was as long as his arm. Punchinello swallowed hard. “I’m not staying here!” and he turned to leave.
Then he heard his name.
“Punchinello?” The voice was deep and strong.
Punchinello stopped.
“Punchinello! How good to see you. Come and let me have a look at you.” Punchinello turned slowly and looked at the large bearded craftsman. “You know my name?” the little Wemmick asked.
“Of course I do. I made you.”
Eli stooped down and picked him up and set him on the bench. “Hmm,” the maker spoke thoughtfully as he inspected the gray circles.
“Looks like you’ve been given some bad marks.”
“I didn’t mean to, Eli. I really tried hard.”
“Oh, you don’t have to defend yourself to me, child. I don’t care what the other Wemmicks think.”
“You don’t?”
“No, and you shouldn’t either. Who are they to give stars or dots?
“They’re Wemmicks just like you. What they think doesn’t matter, Punchinello. All that matters is what I think. And I think you are pretty special.”
Punchinello laughed. “Me, special? Why? I can’t walk fast. I can’t jump. My paint is peeling. Why do I matter to you?”
Eli looked at Punchinello, put his hands on those small wooden shoulders, and spoke very slowly. “Because you’re mine. That’s why you matter to me.”
Punchinello had never had anyone look at him like this–much less his maker. He didn’t know what to say.
“Every day I’ve been hoping you’d come,” Eli explained.
“I came because I met someone who had no marks.”
“I know. She told me about you.”
“Why don’t the stickers stay on her?”
“Because she has decided that what I think is more important than what they think. The stickers only stick if you let them.”
“What?”
“The stickers only stick if they matter to you. The more you trust my love, the less you care about the stickers.”
“I’m not sure I understand.”
“You will, but it will take time. You’ve got a lot of marks. For now, just come to see me every day and let me remind you how much I care.”
Eli lifted Punchinello off the bench and set him on the ground.
“Remember,” Eli said as the Wemmick walked out the door. “You are special because I made you. And I don’t make mistakes.”
Punchinello didn’t stop, but in his heart he thought, “I think he really means it.”
My Good Time Stories 