If Only I Could.....

On Wednesday, November 26, 2008, Maria de Jesus of Portugal received a huge promotion. Along with her Gertrude Baines who also received a promotion propelling her to the very top as well.

On Wednesday Maria de Jesus became the oldest person in the World and Gertrude Baines is now the second oldest. This has been verified by Dr. Stephen Coles of the Gerontology Research Group.

You see it all happened when Edna Parker stepped aside, so to speak, and gave the others an opportunity to lead for a while. Edna had held the rank of the Oldest Person in the World since August 14, 2007 when Yone Minagawa of Japan passed away. Yone was four months older than Edna. Edna turned 115 last April 20th. So for one year and 8 months she held an impossible record.

The race is on and it is not known if Maria, who turned 115 on Sept 10, and/or Gertrude, who is 114, will hold the title for a long time or not. The educated guess is that they may only hold it for a short while because there are other runner ups coming along a well.

Elaine Woo reports in her article that…
“Parker was born on April 20, 1893, in Morgan County, Ind. She graduated from Franklin College in 1911 and taught in a two-room schoolhouse until she married Earl Parker, her childhood sweetheart and next-door neighbor.As a farmer's wife, she rose at 4 a.m. to fix breakfast for the family and hired hands and do her chores, which included maintaining the barn and butchering chickens for Sunday supper. She outlived her husband, who died in 1938, and their two sons. She never remarried. Her survivors include five grandchildren, 13 great-grandchildren and 13 great-great-grandchildren.Parker lived by herself on the family farm until she was 100. At that lofty age, she could still climb a ladder to fix a light, grandson Donald Parker said Thursday. When her family learned she was still climbing ladders, they persuaded her to move in with relatives.”

Did you catch that – at 100 they persuaded her to move because they discovered that she was still climbing ladders to fix light bulbs. They didn’t know about it until she let it slip out.

If only I could see this happen in my life. I feel wonderfully healthy. I rise early each day and I love what I do – including climbing ladders. It is only 73 years from now. If it could happen my grandkids would be old people with me…
Clifford now 13 would be 86…
Jonathan now 12 would be 85…
Thomas now 10 would be 83…
Emma now 9 would be 82…
Michael now 9 would also be 82…
Christopher now 7 would be the youngest at a mere 80…

We could party together….maybe a fishing trip or a walk through the forest…? I would really like to do Paint Ball with Clifford when I am 100 – he would then be 50 and I might have a chance to hit him too…

If only I could live this long I would likely outlive the next years where potentially 9 USA Presidents will have served and maybe 18 to 20 Prime Ministers of Canada will have been in place.

On Edna’s 114 birthday her sense of humor was evident when she remarked that 114 was "several years too long. I probably knew George Washington."

How old will you be when you are promoted finally… when you cross the finish line and let the next person in the race take over the lead?

Most of us hate to think of what will happen down the road. At every funeral we shudder as we look at the guest list and realize that most that have signed the book are our age… and many are much younger. Not long ago I attended a funeral where the person that was in the box had signed the guest book at the previous funeral just ahead of me… yikes! That is too close to home.

I spoke with a man this week that has worked at a job for over 30 years now. We had a lot in common. My June date of leaving Northview placed me at the 34th year of Ministry in the Church. This man shared with me how he feels about getting out of his job as soon as possible – so he will have some life left to enjoy what he can still do.

Did you realize that your job requires you to spend 2000 hours each year doing what you do so well? Add to that the extra hours of some overtime – maybe about 200 extra hours – and then maybe some other tasks that you take on… and how much do you have left for your family?

Sure – sure – you sleep under the same roof for about 2000 hours as well – leaving another possible 2000 hours to talk to each other.

I met a couple not long ago that have chosen to spend their 2000 waking hours fighting with each other. What an existence – WORK – FIGHT – SLEEP!!!! Rather Stupid wouldn’t you say?

I met another couple that were trying to find themselves in every thing. They run here and they run there… and come home dissatisfied every time. The amount of money that they have spent is nuts – yet they are always unhappy. I had a call from one of them not long ago. I listened to the sad tale as I sat in my garage carving… my world is so very far from theirs. They are a “have” kind of people… I am a “have not” kind of people. They can travel anywhere – I can’t get out of the city without careful consideration. But I am happy…

I can list 5 couples that I know that can do anything they want, anytime they want – but they are unhappy – completely and totally unhappy with what they have.

I am not bragging.. only reflecting on what I have. And I really don’t need more.

Today is what the USA has called Black Friday. Today is when more people buy more stuff… that they either don’t need or can’t afford – even at 50% - 75% off the retail price. And when they get home they are still not happy.

I am happy that I have a wife that loves me… not somebody or something else. I am happy that I have two wonderful kids and two great son-in-laws, and with all that six wonderful grandkids. I am happy.

I am happy that I sleep with my wife – and not others. I am happy that we can be intimate sometimes – but don’t always have to. You see I am happy… and don’t half to look for something or someone else to make me happy. I am happy.

Edna Parker, I assume, was happy with a sense of humor being seen up to her 114th! Even though her husband died 70 years ago and she never remarried – she was happy.

If only I could…? You bet I can… and I will show you how happy someone should be… could be… and is in fact – HAPPY!

So if you are unhappy – what are you doing about it? I betcha you may try to buy some at Wal-Mart – right? I am going to make a happy list today and then place it under a very full Christmas Tree…

~ Murray Lincoln ~

Source:
http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-parker28-2008nov28,0,3824201.story
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Friday_(shopping)