Winning Words 7/24/09
“Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.” (Sent by D.S.) There have been several times in my life that I’ve wanted something very much and didn’t get it. At the time I was disappointed, but it turned out that I unexpectedly got something else better instead. We don’t always know what’s best for us. Has it also happened to you? ;-) Jack

FROM R.I. IN BOSTON: There's another maxim somewhat related to your WW. "Be careful what you want because you may get it."

FROM SOMEONE I KNOW: So true that we don't always know what is best for us. The psychiatric help I've gotten here has all the time been disappointing. Seems like the psychiatrists see a lot of people with chronic mental illness problems and they get sort of perfunctory about the hordes of patients they see. But finally a strange turn of events happened a couple of years ago and I got a young woman psychiatrist who specialized in geriatric psychiatry, works in nursing homes and assisted living besides her private patients and she is turning out to be immensely supportive of my goal to help disabled women who use wheelchairs. She is a person who prays, she has insight into people, she has vision and she especially is able to help people be positive about their situations and their possibilities. She must be great with those elderly people and she is kind of turning into a mentor for me. But the thing is I don't think I would be seeing her if it weren't for that long line of changes in insurance and doctors in each system, etc., etc., etc., so that I had never really settled down to one doctor/patient relationship that I would work to keep. At the time I was disappointed but it has turned out unexpectedly that I got something better instead.

FROM HILLTOPPER JOHN: My daughter is a top student (graduated Summa Cum Laude from U of
Mich) and I wanted very much for her to consider ***** for her collegiate experience.
********* didn't give her the time of day. She ended up at U of M and loved it and I am
so happy that she didn't go to *****. Now my nephew who is an ***** grad, a former Prez
of the Alumni Board, and a major contributor has a son who has an outstanding high school
record....Yale is interested in him along with the Un of Chicago, etc. This son has
received the cold shoulder from ***** as well and I wrote to him and said this may be one
of the best breaks of your life.

FROM CJL IN OHIO: Yes! Great, isn't it?

FROM D.S. IN SAN DIEGO: trying to get that message through to your children is a life-long exercise in futility. Probably can say the same thing for ourselves, but once in awhile we recognize it when it happens.

FROM MOLINER C.F.: Oh yes. When I didn't get my electric train. Twenty years later I got a NEW CAR.

FROM C.B. OUT WEST: I feel like that right now with selling our house. We put an offer on a lease to own and it fell thru. Thank goodness since we are still trying to sell that house. There is another house that I really wanted, was hoping that we would sell before the kids came home, but it didn't happen. I'm convinced that sometime between now and forever we will sell our house (it won't take forever). And I've come to like
this little rental with no air conditioning - it is quick to clean and we are on top of one another - which is kind of nice : ) I have learned I can live with a whole lot less, so it has been a very good lesson...

FROM L IN ILLINOIS: This is one of your Winning Words that I keep in the inbox for a day or so in order to look back at it. I think I can say unequivocably that everything I wanted that "didn't work out" worked out better somehow.

FROM INDY GENIE: although i totally believe in today's winning word, i'm not thinking in those terms today. reason being is that i got exactly what i wanted in the last couple of days. my kids planned a 60th birthay party for me .....family from coast to coast are gathering in my home. the gala is tonight at 6:00....if you're in the neighborhood, drop by! i'm a happy and lucky girl!

FROM B.S. NEAR ORLANDO: I remember not getting what you "needed " was the norm, Reply: I remember not getting what you "needed " was the norm, and we just got used to it. Then when you did get a new pair of shoes for Easter, you hugged them, after you hugged your parents, or Aunt Laura.Also, if it started raining while wearing them I took them off and curled then under my chest. Imagine what life was like after I finally got the correct glasses I need for several years. Oh yes Jack, I remember. When I told our children we got
3 nickle hershey bars 4 Christmas from A.Lydia, i noticed skeptasism in our children. Oh, my I tell you right from the chest, we worked hard to give our children things we never had. We also paid most of their way through Madison, that took some doing. MORE FROM B.S.: one thing i"ll never forget was the cold. we had warm itchy woolen underwear, but still when going outside with the pail of ashes to be poured in the alley, or shoveling the side walk, it was cold. And then too we didn't have any fresh green beans or red beets from the garden. Also. we had to walk out to Unc John's farm to beg for potatoes. Then that long walk home carrying heavy potatoes and heads of cabbage

FROM B.S. NEAR ORLANDO: I'll never forget the fresh orange, and fresh apple plus the bag of Zion candy we got in Sunday school for Christmas. Our hung stocking contained another orange. I took a long time savouring that orange. slice by slice. But Hell, we made it, now that lovely Florida orange screws up my glucose. One item that scared me was the long candles that tiped over as the tree became dry.

STILL MORE FROM B.S.: it seams that most of us were in the same boat. One thing I do remember was the smell of meat cooking at some homes where the breadwinner had a job. we used to get a meat meal in the summer when we caught perch from L.Michigan. Usually we would walk barefoot down to the lake and back. When the perch would bite on the worms we dug in our garden we were in heaven. we dug in the innards to fertilized the garden. I knew we were poor when my Pa gave me my sister Peggy's glasses to wear when she
got new ones, and my Pa replaced the soles on our shoes.with real leather.weiners were a nickle.but not at the Cub Ball Park.

FROM C.A. IN MICHIGAN: I am enjoying your winning words. Thanks for keeping me on your list. Whenever I see your message I remember your words of wisdom to me at the synod assembly - "there are rainy day prayers and sunny day prayers, depending on your needs for that day." (something like that, but the idea stays with me ). Agape', FROM JACK: Rainy day and sunny day prayers? That sounds good enough for Winning Words. What I remember about our assembly meeting was being able to purchase an olive wood cross on a laniard. I presented it to my grandson on the day of his confirmation.