Friday, April 18, 2008
Birthday Note
"Life is a shipwreck but we must not forget to sing in the lifeboats."
-Voltaire
When my cousin visited America last October, he was making a very special trip. He had always wanted to see the country and yet had never done so. He made jokes in the time leading up to his adventure about long ago when travellers to the country swore that the streets were all paved with gold.
On the journey from the airport, too, there was much talk of 'striking it rich.'
As he was about to enter our apartment and his first American home, he was dazzled by the trees, the traffic and the big sky. My cousin stooped to pick up a bright penny from the ground.
"A lucky penny," said he. "They were right about the gold." He put the penny in his pocket and promised never to spend or lose it.
The truth is in the finding, and in the attitude.
Attitude is also the reason why today, on his 68th birthday, he still feels like a teenager.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
3 comments:
your cousin with the ability to see gold in a penny is certainly a treasure in and of himself! yes, it is not years that age us, but our attitude about life and living! birthday wishes to your ever youthful cousin may he continue finding gold in the simplest of things - wherever he is....
have a wonderful weekend.
If the price of copper keeps going up, all of our piggy banks might be gold mines. Glad your cousin enjoyed his visit. And, you are right - attitude is the key. Deciding ahead of time to have a good time will almost always insure you will.
Kimy- He'll be very happy to read your kind words. Your comments are always lovely.
Texican, you're right- I really hope it doesn't get to a point where we all count pennies like that for necessity! He never for a moment thought he wouldn't love America- and he loved it, proving your last point that it's about what you expect.
Post a Comment