Before dementia took over, my mother used to pen favorite quotes, writing ideas, and special information in a little notebook she carried in her purse. One of my favorite things now is to discover scraps of papers tucked as markers in books, little notes left in sweater pockets, or half-sheets mixed up with handkerchiefs at the bottom of old purses.
Here are several of my favorites: “All human wisdom is summed up in two words, wait and hope.” ~ Alexandre Dumas; “Things start out as hopes and end up as habits.” ~ Lillian Hellman; and “Maybe all one can do is hope to end up with the right regrets.” ~ Arthur Miller
The main word all three of these quotes have in common is HOPE. According to the Heart Institute of Louisville, Kentucky, humor and hope are inter-connected, and both are important in maintaining good health and a sense of well being.
The best medicine is a combination of humor and hope.
In the spirit of striving for good health, I’m sharing three things that made me smile (or laugh out loud) this week…and also made me feel more hopeful about the problems of the world.
The first is posted with thanks to Dr. Theresa Dankovich from Carnegie Mellon. She is responsible for the “Drinkable Book,” with pages to tear out and use to turn raw sewage into safe drinking water. Each page is printed with a message in the local language, explaining how the paper water filter makes the unsafe water of the village safe to drink.
The second is three cheers for a Georgia police officer, Kenneth Knox. He performed reverse CPR on a 2-month-old baby and saved her life after regular CPR didn’t work. Her parents recently asked Knox to be her godfather. “It is my honor, my privilege and pleasure,” he said, “…my precious angel…I swear I will forever be your guardian…” (Sometimes happiness and hope come with sniffles, too.)
And finally, this is with appreciation for the Netherlands-based video editors who used clips from the heated town hall forum for the recent Presidential debate and made it very funny…and a borderline happy and hopeful reminder that this, too, shall eventually pass. The editors synchronized excerpts of Hillary Clinton’s and Donald Trump’s debate and set them to the duet “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life” from the 1987 romantic drama, DIRTY DANCING. Google Clinton Trump Time of Our Lives for your choice of connections.
In a time of world problems, potential tragedies and discouraging conflicts, do not procrastinate. Look for–and be open to–happy, touching, reassuring, laugh-out-loud examples and events that will give you hope and improve your health.
Things I Want To Tell My Mother 