#332 - CB

If I am doing half as good as #332 when I am her age,  I will consider my life a success and be grateful.  She is the wife of my one and only grown up boss, aka #174.  To me she defines the word, "lady."  She has always been very kind and gracious to me, even when she was kicking my beating me at tennis (which she did quite often).

I would have to take a minute to do the math, but I guess that she is probably somewhere around forty years older than I am,  That being said, age is only a number to her.  She has lived a full life and raised seven children and boasts the love of many grandchildren.  She always looks wonderful even though I know that life has not always treated her kindly.  She has inner strength that she draws on.  You can tell this just by being around her.  She is the person who always remembers your name and asks about your children.  Her make-up is always perfect...even after sweating through a tough three setter.

When I moved back to town, she was on a tennis team with me that travelled to the state tournament.  Even though she was the oldest on our team, she took the court and put a whoopin to ladies half her age.  She is the master of the lob, and even when you think that there is no way for her to reach the great shot that you just hit...back it comes. 

She practices that art of taking care of herself.  In today's world of hustle and bustle, I know that sometimes it is 10:00 or 11:00 at night before I even think about myself.  From travelling with her, I know that she always takes the time to take off her make-up and moisturize her skin.  She always wears sun-screen and a hat.  In other words...she takes care of herself.  Guess what...it works.  She has been battling cancer for a number of years now, but still looks great and feels good enough to still play tennis in her backyard at least 2-3 times per week.

I only got to know #332 after her kids were grown and on their own.  I know my life and my day to day activities and priorities will shift and change as the years pass.  But, I take inspiration from #332.  Taking time for yourself is necessary for mental and physical health.  All too often, I don't even take the time to eat a proper meal... sitting down at the table.  I do everything on the go and when I am crabby with my kids or too exhausted to move at end of the day, it takes it's toll.

In honor of #332, I would like to remind myself that it is okay to take time for myself and that I deserve it.  There is a line from a book that I bought called, "I'm not too busy" by Jodi Hills.  The first line in the book reads, "When we move so fast, we miss so much."  Something to stop, slow down, and think about.