I first met my friend, Delores when we moved to Minnesota 42 years ago. Although she was older than I am, she was always an encouraging, caring, and funny friend. In April of this year, Delores passed from this life to the next. At her funeral one of her family members read 12 Life Lessons that Delores had recorded. I’ve since learned that the 12 lessons came fromAndy Rooney in an essay entitled “Enlightened Perspective.” Andy’s list is longer, but these are the ones Delores must have thought were the most important.

12 Life Lessons

1. One person saying, “You made my day,” well that makes my day!.    
2. Being kind is more important than being right.
3. You can always pray for someone when you don’t have the strength to help them in any other way.
4. I am glad God didn’t give us everything we ask for.
5. Money doesn’t buy class.
6. The Lord didn’t do it all in one day, why should I think I can?
7. An easy way to grow as a person is to surround yourself with people who are smarter than you.
8. Everyone deserves to be greeted with a smile.
9. Opportunities are never lost.  Someone else will take the ones you miss.
10. One should keep their words soft and tender because tomorrow you may have to eat them.
11. I can’t choose how I feel but I can choose what I do about it.
12. When your newly born grandchild takes ahold of your finger you are hooked for life.

I could probably write an entire blog on each of these subjects but instead, I’m just going to uncharacteristically keep my mouth shut and let you digest them on your own for now.

Thank you, Delores, for leaving behind a legacy of wisdom, encouragement, and love.

Cover photo by Gaetano Cessati on Unsplash