Recently I visited dear friends who are now living in an Assisted Leisure Living Center. Before I left, one of them quoted words from Shakespeare, and another told me about her voice activated computer who gave her information about the purple hat. She shared these thoughts with me and I would like to share them with the readers of this warm thoughts weekly column.

The Purple Hat. Age three: She looks at herself and sees a queen. Age eight: She looks at herself and sees Cinderella. Age fifteen: She looks at herself and sees an ugly sister. "Mom, I can't go to school looking like this." Age twenty: She looks at herself and sees "too fat/too thin, too short/too tall, too straight/too curly," but decides she's going out anyway. Age thirty: She looks at herself and sees "too fat/too thin, too short/too tall, too straight/too curly," but she decides she doesn't have time to fix it so she's going out anyway. Age forty: She looks at herself and sees "too fat/too thin, too short/too tall, too straight/too curly," then says, "at least I am clean" and goes out anyway. Age fifty: She looks at herself and says "I am" and goes wherever she wants to go. Age sixty: She looks at herself and reminds herself of all the people who can't even see themselves and she goes out to conquer the world. Age seventy: She looks at herself and sees wisdom, laughter, and ability and she goes out and enjoys life. Age eighty: She doesn't bother to look, just puts on a purple hat and goes out to have fun with the world. Maybe we should all grab that purple hat earlier.

After you read this column, you may believe that life begins at 80!

Warm Thoughts: To be 70 years young is sometimes more cheerful than to be 40 years old. Oliver Wendell Holmes. One who sees beauty in all things never grows old. Aging depends on your attitude. Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at 20 or 80. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young. Henry Ford.

Warm Thoughts from the Little Home on the Prairie Over a Cup of Tea by Luetta G. Werner

Published in the Marion Record November 1st, 2001
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Till next time,

Trina