Life in Numbers and Breaths
submitted by Cecilia M Gordon, DVM-S

> Do you realize that the only time in our lives when we like to get old is
> when we're kids? If you're less than 10 years old, you're so excited about
> aging that you think in fractions.
>
> 'How old are you?' 'I'm four and a half!' You're never thirty-six and a
> half. You're four and a half, going on five! That's the key
>
> You get into your teens, now they can't hold you back. You jump to the next
> number, or even a few ahead.
>
> 'How old are you?' 'I'm gonna be 16!' You could be 13, but hey, you're gonna
> be 16! And then the greatest day of your life . . You become 21. Even the
> words sound like a ceremony . YOU BECOME 21 YESSSS!!!
>
> But then you turn 30. Oooohh, what happened there? Makes you sound like bad
> milk! He TURNED; we had to throw him out. There's no fun now, you're Just a
> sour-dumpling. What's wrong? What's changed?
>
> You BECOME 21, you TURN 30, then you're PUSHING 40. Whoa! Put on the brakes,
> it's all slipping away. Before you know it, you REACH 50 and your dreams are
> gone.
>
> But wait!!! You MAKE it to 60. You didn't think you would!
>
> So you BECOME 21, TURN 30, PUSH 40, REACH 50 and MAKE it to 60.
>
> You've built up so much speed that you HIT 70! After that it's a day-by-day
> thing; you HIT Wednesday!
>
> You get into your 80's and every day is a complete cycle; you HIT lunch; you
> TURN 4:30 ; you REACH bedtime. And it doesn't end there. Into the 90s, you
> start going backwards; 'I Was JUST 92.'
>
> Then a strange thing happens. If you make it over 100, you become a little
> kid again. 'I'm 100 and a half!' May you all make it to a healthy 100 and a
> half!! 
>
> 
> HOW TO STAY YOUNG
> 1. Throw out nonessential numbers. This includes age, weight and height. Let
> the doctors worry about them. That is why you pay 'them.'
>
> 2. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down.
>
> 3. Keep learning. Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening,
> whatever. Never let the brain 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.
>
> 6. The tears happen. Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person, who is
> with us our entire life, is ourselves. Be ALIVE 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.
>
> AND ALWAYS REMEMBER
> Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take,  but by the moments
> that take our  breath away.
>
> And if you don't send this to at least 8 people - who cares? 
>
> But do share this with someone. We all need to live life to its fullest each
> day!!