"Roswitha McIntosh" by Mimi Stuart
Live the Life you Desire
My mother Ros turns 80 years old today, showing everyone around her how kindness, a passion for life and a can-do attitude create a beauty that isn’t found in most 30-year olds.
Her ability to look for the positive and the possible is what keeps her happy, energetic and a joy to be around. People who engaged in life and in the people around them generally age well despite the inevitable changes as we grow older.
When my mother’s new hip kept her on crutches off and on for five years, she would still walk on the beach daily. Even on crutches, she asked what she could do for others, rather than what they could do for her. The moment her hip finally healed, she was back to ballroom dancing and skiing.
A shoulder injury caused her to start playing ping pong with her non-dominant hand. She viewed it as a challenge and she has become quite difficult to beat!
She challenges her mind in many ways, including playing the piano and translating her third book into German — the language of a country she hasn’t lived in for over half a century. She gathers together eclectic friends, new and old at her table for lively discussion and a delicious meal. You may find her on a ladder painting my sister’s fence, or energetically helping her association gardeners with weeding and planting.
With such enthusiasm and industriousness, her life seems, and I believe, is better than ever. Moreover, given her kind and intelligent face, her beauty radiates through her fine lines of wisdom.
Success is peace of mind that is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing that you did your best to become the best you are capable of becoming.
~Coach John Wooden
I feel like an 18 year old. I just can’t catch her.
~George Burns
by Alison Poulsen, PhD