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Growin’ Old Ain’t For Sissies by Bill Keith: “Let’s roll!”
Originally published June 8, 2015
Growin’ Old Ain’t For Sissies
by Bill Keith
Congratulations to our Heroine of the Week: Former First Lady Barbara Bush just celebrated her 90th birthday. And, along with a birthday party, she is promoting literacy in the U.S. particularly among adults. Family members were in Kennebunkport, Maine, for the birthday party. Happy birthday, Barbara, you are a wonderful lady!
Author’s note: Following is a “Good Morning America” interview with Lisa Beamer, wife of Todd Beamer who helped take down the terrorist plane over Pennsylvania on Sept. 9, 2011, a plane that was heading for Washington, D.C. You may remember his famous last recorded quote “Let’s Roll!” before he and all the others passengers died that day.
Todd and Lisa Beamer attended Wheaton College in Illinois — my alma mater — and I am very proud of them.
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During the GMA interview, Lisa recalled this story: I had a very special teacher in high school many years ago whose husband died suddenly of a heart attack. About a week after his death, she shared some insight with a classroom of students. As the late afternoon sunlight came streaming in through the classroom windows and the class was nearly over, she moved a few things aside on her desk and sat down there.
With a gentle look of reflection on her face, she paused and said, “Class is over, I would like to share with all of you a thought …which I feel is very important. Each of us is put here on earth to learn, share, love, appreciate and give of ourselves. None of us knows when this fantastic life will end. ..
“Perhaps this is God’s way of telling us that we must make the most out of every single day.” Her eyes, beginning to water, she went on, ‘”So I would like you all to make me a promise. From now on, on your way to school, or on your way home, find something beautiful to notice.
“It doesn’t have to be something you see, it could be a scent, perhaps of freshly baked read…or it could be the sound of the breeze slightly rustling the leaves in the trees, or the way the morning light catches one autumn leaf as it falls gently to the ground…”
The class was completely quiet. We all picked up our books and filed out of the room…That afternoon, I noticed more things on my way home from school than I had that whole semester. Every once in a while, I think of that teacher and remember what an impression she made on all of us…
Take notice of something special you see…today. Go barefoot. Or walk on the beach at sunset. Stop off on the way home tonight to get a double dip ice cream cone. For as we get older, it is not the things we did that we often regret, but the things we didn’t do.
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Have a great day!
God bless you every day of your life
The nicest place to be is in someone’s thoughts.
The safest place to be is in someone’s prayers.
And the very best place to be is in the Hands of God.
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Note: My new novel Whisper in the Wind , a story of love and war in the South Pacific during World War II, is now available on Amazon and Amazon/Kindle.
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Growin’ Old Ain’t For Sissies by Bill Keith: “Let’s roll!”
Growin" Old Ain"t For Sissies by Bill Keith: "Let"s roll!"
