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President Ronald Reagan. in August, 1988, issued Proclamation 5847 creating August 21 as National Senior Citizens Day. In his speech President Reagan said “For all they have achieved throughout life and for all they continue to accomplish, we owe older citizens our thanks and a heartfelt salute. We can best demonstrate our gratitude and esteem by making sure that our communities are good places in which to mature and grow older.”
Hence, National Senior Citizens Day today. On this day, we are encouraged to recognize and show appreciation for the value and contribution of elderly people to home, family and society.
To show our gratitude for what our elderly populace have achieved in their lives and for their contributions to our communities, the hereunder “FOOD FOR THOUGHT” is heartily dedicated to them.
Carol Dizon Johnson
Stay fit forever.
Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be fearful (John 14:27)
THE TEN COMMANDMENTS FOR THOSE OVER FIFTY YEARS OLD
1. Focus on enjoying people, not on indulging in or accumulating material things.
2. Plan to spend whatever you have saved. You deserve to enjoy it and the few healthy years you have left.
Travel if you can afford it. Don’t leave anything for your children or loved ones to quarrel about. By leaving anything, you may even cause more trouble when you are gone.
3. Live in the here and now, not in the yesterdays and tomorrows. It is only today that you can handle. Yesterday is gone, tomorrow may not even happen.
4. Enjoy your grandchildren (if you are blessed with any) but don’t be their full time baby sitter. You have no moral obligation to take care of them. Don’t have any guilt about refusing to baby sit anyone’s kids, including your own grandkids. Your parental obligation is to your children. After you have raised them into responsible adults, your duties of child-rearing and babysitting are finished. Let your children raise their own offsprings.
5. Accept physical weakness, sickness and other physical pains. It is a part of the aging process. Enjoy whatever your health can allow.
6. Enjoy what you are and what you have right now. Stop working hard for what you do not have. If you do not have them, It’s probably too late..
7. Just enjoy your life with your spouse, children, grandchildren and friends. People, who truly love you, love you for yourself, not for what you have. Anyone who loves you for what you have will just give you misery.
8. Forgive and accept forgiveness. Forgive yourself and others. Enjoy peace of mind and peace of soul.
9. Befriend death. It’s a natural part of the life cycle. Don’t be afraid of it. Death is the beginning of a new and better life. So, prepare yourself not for death but for a new life with the Almighty.
10. Be at peace with Our Lord God for He is all you have after you leave this life.
