My Mottos

                                              MY MOTTOS

I was standing in the main room at my Home for Seniors and the phone rang. It was my daughter Debbie. We were making plans to meet later on. So, how was I doing now? What was I doing?
"We're going in for our monthly "Discuss and Share" program" I said.
"Great!" she said enthusiastically. "And the subject today is...?"
"Something I just don't get...it's gonna be so boring... so..."
"Ma, you sound wired, what's wrong?"
" 'Wired'? What do you mean, 'wired' ?"
"You know...excited. Why are you?"
"We're going to be talking about ...our personal motto!"
"Sounds interesting," said Debbie.
"Yeah? But I don't have a motto."
"Ma, it's a saying that you live by, an adage...a maxim..."
"Debbie, I know what the word means... I just don't have one..."
"Sure you do....everybody your age has one..."
"Well, I don't! I'm going in. See you later."

Paula, our recreation director was calling on residents to offer their mottos.
Jennie, one of our oldest in her early 90's, raised her hand and stood up;
"Better Late Than Never" she said proudly.
And I thought to myself; BOOOORING! Did I see some yawns in the room?
"Thank You Jennie," said Paula. "Who's next?"
Then Marla got up and with a self-satisfied smile said, "Live For Today.
Tomorrow May Never Come!"
Whoa! We weren't happy with that one! A moan went through the room of seniors,
in our 80's and 90's. If Marla chose to live by that saying, it was certainly up to her,
but did she really have to 'share' that with us? I sensed some anger in the room.
What was next, we all wondered. Eva got up, and in a clear emphatic tone, announced
her motto, "It Is What It Is!" Not a very inspiring thought. In fact, it was the very
opposite. It was a surrender to one’s life, with a shrug of the shoulders and a shake of
the head, it was a surrender.
But there was no argument, no disputing the theory behind the words.
And before anything was said, Brenda stood up, "Live And Let Live!" she announced
(translation, mind your own business). It sounded rational and intelligent, but because
it came from Brenda, one of the biggest yentas we knew, there were giggles heard all around.
I raised my hand. Something had popped into my head, a saying that came to me often.
Paula, the chairwoman, motioned to me, I stood. "My motto " I said, is
"SMILE AND THE WORLD WILL SMILE WITH YOU. CRY AND YOU CRY ALONE."
I sat down, pleased with myself, until Paula exclaimed, "But you didn't smile at all this morning." There was laughter and scattered applause. "Not even once!" came a call from the audience.
I was embarrassed and upset. I flashed a quick smile and then left the room. I had to talk to
Debbie right away, to tell her what just happened.
"Ma, are they right, that you didn't crack a smile at all?"
"Uh, I don't know...I guess not."
"Well," she continued, “If 'Smile And The World Will Smile With You' is your motto,
it's assumed that you would abide by it."
"I know, Debbie... I know." There were tears in my voice.
"Oh, no, you're not crying are you? Because 'Cry And You Cry Alone’."
She burst out laughing and I did too.
"I have it!" she said, "A motto that's perfect for you right now!"
I couldn't wait to hear it.
"It's 'Roll With The Punches'. In other words, ups and downs  happen in life.  So  'Roll'
with them. Take them in stride."
"Okay, I get it!" I said.  I'm 'rollin'."
                                                      THE END