We provide this free health resource to visitors of the Community Room of SeniorSSuperStoreS in an effort to keep baby boomers, seniors and the elderly informed of matters that can affect their lifestyle.

Spring and the Easter and Passover seasons give us cause to reminisce and think of happy memories in our lives.

A grandmother was telling her little granddaughter what her own childhood was like: "We used to skate outside on a pond. I had a swing made from a tire; it hung from a tree in our front yard. We rode our pony. We picked wild raspberries in the woods." The little girl was wide-eyed, taking this in.At last she said, "I sure wish I'd gotten to know you sooner!"

That's a cute story, one repeated often to others, because it is so true. Those past happy times are the fuel we need to make life worth living. It's healthy to savor memories. James Barrie said, "God gave us our memories so that we might have roses in December."

Reminiscing back to a particular happening in your life that holds an endearing corner in your heart, will bring more happiness and better health than you can imagine. It doesn't have to be something big or dramatic, but just some small little thing you fondly recall. Most of us miss out on life's big prizes. The Pulitzer.The Nobel. Oscars. Emmys. But, we all had life's small pleasures: a pat on the back, kiss behind the ear, a four-pound bass or a full moon. Remember how just finding an empty parking space, watching that crackling fire, experiencing a delicious meal or taking in a glorious sunset rewarded your soul with gladness. We can't sit back and fret about missing out on all those grand awards. It's the tiny delights, plenty for us all, that make the next day worth living.

Sometimes regrets or "should-have-dones" get in the way of joy and remembering happy memories. William Shakespeare said, "Let us not burden our remembrances with a heaviness that is gone". Mark Twain adds, "When I was younger I could remember anything whether it had happened or not." It's easy to conjure up bad memories to an extent that it makes us sick. Everyone makes mistakes daily, so choose not to worry about them which sometimes takes some mental gymnastics.

Our minds can make themselves depressed if we don't work on them. Some ways to control your mind and prevent depression are:
* Think of the happy times, not dwelling on sad ones. Take a moment and count five things good about your life. Write them down and stare at just those particular blessings.
* Keep your mind active and get plenty of rest and regular exercise - walking, swimming or any activity that you enjoy.
* Learn to recognize, and then to "reroute" negative thinking patterns.
* Stay in brightly lit rooms on dark days. Exposure to the sun and bright light seems to regulate the body's production of elatonin, produced by the pineal gland and prevents the blues.
* Have some dreams or goals you want to accomplish this week, month and within the year. Collect a bunch of wishes that you can get to work on, not just stare at and fancy.
* Counter stress with action. The best antidote to fatigue and depression is physical work. Think of your metabolism as a fire. You start a fire first by using little pieces of wood called kindling, and then gradually adding larger and larger pieces of wood until you have an inferno. If you are too tired to imagine doing aerobics for forty-five minutes or an hour, start doing something! As you get better, add more. At the end, your stress levels will be reduced, your mood will be better, and you'll have renewed energy.

Life is what happens while we are busy making other plans as A.J. Marshall tells us. You're in the middle of a happy memory right now, this very second. Make it a pleasant one and the next one will be just as welcomed, life will be happier and others will love being with such an amiable person. You bless others when you take care of yourself. Remember, the main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing. We all need happy memories and good times to make life worth living.

Wrinkles in Time
Not too long ago, we visited the old prairie Homestead
Of great-grandpa and grandma Qualman.
Wandering in and out of the weathered doors,
We reminisced where these faithful ancestors walked and ran.
Some of us took home dusty articles, treasures from their past
And pondering thoughts of how memories of our own lives would last.

Would our children want to remember how we loved and valued our own worth
And gather valued bits and pieces of our experiences here on earth
Or let us be lost as many of our forefathers are in that proverbial foggy blur?
Imagine being forgotten, no scrapbooks, a blithe journal or musing picture.

With noble resolve we cherished those articles, portraits and memoirs of their past
Adding our own wide-eyed eagerness to savored pleasant memories we hope will last.
So when others journey along the path we wandered in life, true to those held dear,
They'll discover the wrinkles in time we left behind gleaned from year to year.

If you want to share your thoughts and memories like Marcia has done, just send those to us at mail@seniorssuperstores.com.