Sue Nagy

“We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children.” ~ Native American proverb

I recently ate dinner at a very nice local restaurant. It was a packed house, and while the food was very good, the service was very slow. You see, there were only two waitresses. Our server apologized for the delay and let us know that at 62, she was the youngest person working there. They were unable to get anyone to work. That is a story I hear repeated at many businesses. I worked over 60 years, from the time I was 13 until I was 73. I learned early in life that to have money, I had to work. Why don’t many of our young people understand this?

I times I feel like Rip Van Winkle, waking up to find decades have passed and I haven’t kept up. Here I am writing this article, which my son will have to copy and send to the newspaper, since I just don’t like computers.

The weeds in my garden haven’t been touched by my leprechauns. But the rabbits have discovered lunch in the growing produce. There is good food in the garden, and from what I have heard, the service is pretty good as well.

I put thick jam on my toast like my diabetic father did. As he said, “It’s my fruit.” I make my own jam, so I know how much sugar is in it. And, just like he did, I delude myself about just how healthy my jam is. Also, as my parents did, I enjoy life. I enjoy friends, traveling around, and meeting new people to talk and laugh with. My children and grandchildren make me feel grand. I love a good book. As C.S. Lewis stated “You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me.”

I may not need to shower or wash my face for a while. I am going to babysit my son’s dog and she sees to it that everything is licked off my face and arms. As I get cleaned up I think God must have put creatures in this world not only for food, but also to expand our hearts. A pig squeals, and I laugh. A cow moos, and I smile. The dogs cuddle me and I feel love. I hope all of us can feel this love in some way.

Love is the only reason to stay alive. Today share some love with someone or some critter.