Sharing Jokes...

My father had the knack of remembering jokes - and telling them at the right time.

My mother loved laughter... But she (like me) could never remember jokes! So she would write them down. Sometimes she carried them around in her purse to share with friends.

Recently, going through her papers, I came across one that she had written down. This is how it goes:

Senior Citizens are the biggest carriers of AIDS - Hearing AIDS, band AIDS, roll AIDS, walking AIDS, medical AIDS, government AID.

(In my mind, I just see my mother smiling as she shares this joke!)

It Sparks Joy!

As I organize hats and gloves, putting away winter clothing and pulling out wide-brimmed summer hats, it strikes me that even storage should "spark joy"!

I was looking for a basket large enough to hold our summer hats...

What about this one?!

Over the years, it's been used to hold small plants, photo albums and newspapers. Now these large hats fit perfectly...

Best of all, when I walk past it in the hall, my straw hat with the red ribbon "sparks joy" - as it reminds me of hot summer days... and relaxing in the sun!

Enthusiasm for Life!

My mother left a pile of diaries, daily logs noting what she did each day.

As I look through them, deciding what to keep or discard, I'm struck by her enthusiasm for life!

Enthusiasm makes everything so much more fun...

Is it a gift? Or a choice? I wonder...

Hmmm. Probably a little of both...

Was it because she never mentioned what was annoying her or how her day was going? Just what she did...

(Unlike her, I sometimes use daily journaling for venting!!)

I think my mother tried to make the best of every situation - and made a point of looking on the bright side of life...