Many years ago, my father, in his early 80s, shared an experience with me that he had with his physician during his annual physical:

Dad was complaining about his declining health and all the things he was suffering from. After listening to my father for a reasonable amount of time, the doctor said, “You know, Joe, you could have avoided all this if you’d died 10 years ago while you were still in good health.”

When my father shared this with me, he concluded, “I got the point and got it good. Better to enjoy what you’ve got than complain about what you don’t.”

I’m now 82 myself and, between three strokes and overall decay, I know first-hand that bodily infirmities multiply with the passage of time.

And remembering my father’s words, I make sure to enjoy every day.

Sent in by subscriber William Duchie of Brandon, TX. It doesn’t have a lot to do with gardening, but, like his dad, I wanted to share it.