LESSONS I LEARNED FROM MY 95-YEAR-OLD BEST FRIEND BY KALEY MOONEY
- What lessons have you learned to help guide you on your creative journey?
- Life, Lessons, Creativity
Four years ago I began working part time in senior care and what I didn’t know then was that it would become much more than a job for me. So here are some things I’ve learned from my 95-year-old best friend that I believe will help guide me on my creative journey. She didn’t know that when I was helping her, she was helping me even more.
- Laughing is important. Her and I spend many of our days together laughing. We laugh at her husband, the mean people in the clubhouse, when she has accidents, but mostly her husband.
- Stop comparing myself to others and stop caring so much about what they may think.
- Be myself and do what makes me happy. Don’t let the world tell me who I have to be. “Wear what you want to wear, not what the Kardashians tell you what to wear” as she would say.
- I only have so many years on this earth, what am I going to do with them? My best friend was a mother of 6, a writer, a school teacher, a pianist and to top it all off, she flew planes with her husband as one of her hobbies. She inspires me.
- Learn and explore as much as you can. Nowadays she uses her iPad more than her legs to explore but she is always up to date with plenty to talk about.
- I really don’t need as much as I think I do. Stop caring so much about things that are not going to matter in a few years and start caring more about friends, family and learning experiences.
- Do not judge what I don’t understand.
- Don’t be afraid of rejection whether it is with my dreams and goals or with my peers. (maybe her and Dr. Friedman would be friends). Be positive.
- Be kind to people and spread love. Appreciate every conversation and every person I meet, good or bad.
- I am not always right even though I think I am. Think of different perspectives.
