I know. I know. You're shocked. Me, saying something nice about Frank. I know you weren't expecting this, but I've grown. I've learned how to forgive and because of that, I see things clearer and my life is fuller.
So, some things I learned from Frank:
1) How to pack; he was a master at packing a suitcase. There was always a packed one at home while he traveled. When he returned, he simply dropped off the one he had, and exchanged it with the one with fresh clothes. Of course, my traveling doesn't warrant that, but the way he laid out things, is what I took away.
2) How to spot a good restaurant; Hint: it's the one where there's a line to get in. Those to avoid, the ones with no customers.
3) Commercial airlines carry meds on board; This knowledge came in handy when I had an allergic reaction to something on my flight to South Africa.
4) Creating pro and con lists when you have to make a big decision; He was very rationale, and rarely made a spur-of-the-moment decision. He deliberated long and hard before making his final choice.
Of course . . . No. No. No. I will not. I will not. I will not dwell on the negative side of that equation. I will only spend time on those things I can take away and use to my benefit.
5) Cooking, preparing and presenting food is a form of artistic expression. The food should look as good as it tastes.
I'm sure there are more things I learned from Frank, but these are the biggies that come to mind.
Although I didn't get this until the eve of my 55th birthday, forgiveness is not about the person who wronged you. It's about you. You forgive for you. So that you can move on without pulling an 18-wheeler filled with junk around with you.
There's a fabulous quote from Robben Island that states,
"While we will not forget the brutality of apartheid, we will not want Robben Island to be a monument of our hardship and suffering. We would want it to be a triumph of the human spirit against the forces of evil; a triumph of wisdom and largeness of spirit against small minds and pettiness; a triumph of courage and determination over human frailty and weakness." -Ahmed Kathrada
Powerful.
And finally, I've learned that maturity has little to do with age.
Have you ever met a child who seemed like an "old soul?" He/she just exuded wisdom without realizing it?
Conversely, have you met some an ole critter who makes foolish decisions and acts like a kid?
As I've gotten older, I've learned that there is world of things I don't know. To stay informed, I must always be open to learning new things, experiencing new adventures. If you're not careful, it would be easy to go through life on automatic pilot, just taking each day as it comes, instead of seeing the wonder that each days brings.
I like me at this age. Do you like you?
So, some things I learned from Frank:
1) How to pack; he was a master at packing a suitcase. There was always a packed one at home while he traveled. When he returned, he simply dropped off the one he had, and exchanged it with the one with fresh clothes. Of course, my traveling doesn't warrant that, but the way he laid out things, is what I took away.
2) How to spot a good restaurant; Hint: it's the one where there's a line to get in. Those to avoid, the ones with no customers.
3) Commercial airlines carry meds on board; This knowledge came in handy when I had an allergic reaction to something on my flight to South Africa.
4) Creating pro and con lists when you have to make a big decision; He was very rationale, and rarely made a spur-of-the-moment decision. He deliberated long and hard before making his final choice.
Of course . . . No. No. No. I will not. I will not. I will not dwell on the negative side of that equation. I will only spend time on those things I can take away and use to my benefit.
5) Cooking, preparing and presenting food is a form of artistic expression. The food should look as good as it tastes.
I'm sure there are more things I learned from Frank, but these are the biggies that come to mind.
Although I didn't get this until the eve of my 55th birthday, forgiveness is not about the person who wronged you. It's about you. You forgive for you. So that you can move on without pulling an 18-wheeler filled with junk around with you.
There's a fabulous quote from Robben Island that states,
"While we will not forget the brutality of apartheid, we will not want Robben Island to be a monument of our hardship and suffering. We would want it to be a triumph of the human spirit against the forces of evil; a triumph of wisdom and largeness of spirit against small minds and pettiness; a triumph of courage and determination over human frailty and weakness." -Ahmed Kathrada
Powerful.
And finally, I've learned that maturity has little to do with age.
Have you ever met a child who seemed like an "old soul?" He/she just exuded wisdom without realizing it?
Conversely, have you met some an ole critter who makes foolish decisions and acts like a kid?
As I've gotten older, I've learned that there is world of things I don't know. To stay informed, I must always be open to learning new things, experiencing new adventures. If you're not careful, it would be easy to go through life on automatic pilot, just taking each day as it comes, instead of seeing the wonder that each days brings.
I like me at this age. Do you like you?
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