Don't Sweat The Small Stuff

Charles Swindoll said, "Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it."

I know some people (and you probably do too) who make a big deal out of minor issues and others who take major lumps in stride. What makes the difference? Attitude.

My only surviving aunt turned 94 last week. Aunt Nora was married and widowed twice. Between the two marriages she raised her four sons without a husband's help. She has lived through two World Wars and the Depression. She has outlived all of her own immediate family, the families of her two husbands, and two daughters-in-law. But I have never heard her complain about her lot in life.

Aunt Nora lived alone until she was 93 1/2. The aging process took its toll on her body. Her knees are worn out and replacing them is not possible because her heart would not take the stress of the operation. Last August she decided it is time for her to go to a nursing home. She had a family sale to dispose of the contents of her house and then sold the house on public sale. She was at the sale, watching all her things being carried away by others.

Naturally, it took some time to adjust to living in a nursing home, but it did not slow her down much. She is still on the go with her children and grandchildren. Every time I see her she tells me how many great and great-great-grandchildren she has. And the number always increases.

On Saturday Aunt Nora attended the wedding of her great-granddaughter. She uses a wheelchair because her worn out knees make walking painful. She told the great-grandmother of the groom, "There is nothing wrong with me; I just can't walk."

Aunt Nora is an inspiration to me. She could make herself and everyone else miserable by harping on all the hardships she has had in 94 years of living. But she goes on, making the best of whatever life hands her. The fact that she can no longer walk doesn't count. That short fact is tacked onto the end of a longer positive statement. I think that positive attitude is one of the reasons she has lived so long.

So there you have it! If you want to live a long, full life, don't sweat the small stuff!