Tomorrow would have been Neil’s 62nd birthday. It’s nice to think of him today and smile without tears. He wasn’t perfect like me (lol) but he sure did have his good points. He was the most generous person I ever met– he would give away his shirt if someone else needed it – and in fact, on several occasions, did just that. He was level-headed and calm and loved to laugh – even when his jokes weren’t funny. And he had a remarkable wisdom that I didn’t always appreciate at the time. This is an old post, but it seems appropriate to resurrect it:
Neil had a way of teaching me things. Sometimes I learned from him, other times I learned because of him, but in retrospect he was pretty wise. Here are seven of his great life lessons we should all remember.
1. Don’t be afraid. Be reasonable, but don’t be afraid – to try something new, to go somewhere alone, to make a new friend, to do what you want.
2. Be compassionate to everyone – young people, old people, tattooed people, long-haired people, smokers, drinkers, drug users, folks in jail – because underneath it all they’re just people like us. No one is perfect, and every one of us is human and flawed, yet God loves us all. We should love each other.
3. You cannot control anyone but yourself, and you cannot know what is best for anyone but yourself. Spend time becoming the best person you can be and you won’t have time to worry about anyone else.
4. Each of us is in charge of our own happiness. No “if only he/she did this/that I could be happy.” Find your own happy.
5. Don’t take everything so seriously. Laugh, play, have fun, watch clouds, waste time every now and then just talking to friends, or watching a bug at work. There is humor and beauty everywhere; you just have to look for it.
6. Life is an adventure. No matter how much you want to plan it all out and predict what tomorrow will bring, you just can’t. Don’t waste time trying. You are not in control.
7. Learn from your mistakes and then let them go. You can’t change the past, but you can use it to be better in the future.
8. And some of his great one-liners:
“Winners never quit and quitters never win.”
“If you don’t go to school you’ll end up a mule.”
“Good night, Irene” is applicable in all situations.
And don’t call me Shirley.
Thank you for sharing,Colleen. Made me aware to start looking for my husband’s good points instead of complaining about the little things. God bless you..
Luckily, Neil and I had six months form the time he was diagnosed to the time he died. I can honestly say they were some of the best months of our marriage because we didn’t care anymore about the things that didn’t really matter. Thanks for reading, Adele!
Thinking of you and sending hugs and prayers.
Thank you! The prayers and hugs worked – it was a good day 🙂
Can remember the first time I met Neil. You sent me to pick up food for you while we were working the ER and when I told him what I had come for and who sent me his eyes lit up like the sun on it’s brightest day. That is when I knew he was in love and you were also. So glad you and he had each other.
I remember that too, Linda! You told me to be careful because you knew I was smitten!
Love this! Thanks for re-posting!
And thanks for re-reading!
Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. Thanks for sharing Neil’s wisdom.
Mary, hope you are doing well – you are such a faithful reader. Thank you!!