Day 739

Due to a rainy morning, Ranger and Gus were in consideration for today's visit. Right before we left, the rain stopped and Lilly came up to me with a look that said, "Please let me go!!! Please?" I had no choice! The ramp was placed, she ran right into the car and off we went!

When we entered the front door of Norbella, staff greeted us with enthusiasm. Getting right down on the floor, they gave her so much love. She was SO happy!

Off to Memory Care and then on to Independent Living, where we followed the antics of the various wildlife outside their windows. Wild turkeys, fox or coyotes, squirrels, birds...it was a lively conversation! The joy was shining in the residents' eyes as they told their stories.

It certainly doesn't take much to make the senior residents happy. Suddenly, I began to visualize a Bell Curve of life. When we are babies, delight is found in most anything...the same is true for senior citizens. These two groups (Dogs fit in there somewhere!) only need people and almost anything 'entertaining' to find happiness. What happens between those two bookends?

Responsibility, expectations, more sophisticated entertainment, stress...STRESS! That must be it!!! At either end of living, stress is certainly not as prevalent!

If managing stress allows one to enjoy life more deeply, we all have some work to do between about 6 and 80-years-old! Of course, there are stressors that accompany those in-between years, but taking time to "stop and smell the roses" seems to be a recipe for pure happiness.

Perhaps we need to embrace our inner-child more frequently and spend quality time with the elders that surround us. They embrace happiness in its purest form and we can all use a dose of that!