My son-in-law’s mother left a touching letter to her children before she died.  She included advice and philosophy on achieving happiness.

 

“What is happiness?  It comes from achieving your goals.  But remember that no goal in life worth reaching for is achieved without struggle.  Setting goals means accepting and learning to deal with anxiety, frustration, disappointment, even failure.

 

“Here’s my recipe to keep you on the right road:

 

1)      Fight your own battles.

 

2)      Accept your mistakes.

 

3)      Be persistent.

 

4)      Stand on your own feet.

 

5)      Maximize your talents.”

 

For her children, wise words from a loving mother.  Mary Ann Barnaby, my daughter’s mother-in-law, and my grandson’s other grandmother, here’s a pledge to honor your memory and to love those you loved.

 

I sometimes wonder what advice I would leave for my children.  Maybe, “Find your passion and give it your heart.  Let the world be a better place because you lived.”  Have I been any kind of example for that?  What are my passions?  I think they would include family, pianos, nature, and writing.  On the rare occasion when all these come together in one grand concerto of life, it is pure bliss, a little bit of heaven on earth.