Thread by @tyromper

The best place I learned about life was at a nursing home.

My wife asked me to volunteer a few years ago & I reluctantly accepted :)

I’ll admit, I dreaded it at first.

But like everything in life,
what you put in you get out.

The experience ended up changing my life!
👇👇

We started going 1 Sunday a month.

I even got to preach a Bible lesson & our family would then serve communion.

After a couple Sundays we started staying after to chat & hangout.

We met war heroes, widows, business owners, & some of the most interesting people there!

It’s amazing what talking & building a relationship with people in their last season of life will do.

So many spoke about regrets.
They spoke about priorities & what truly mattered in life.

I learned quickly not one regretted failing.
The only regrets were not taking chances!

Here’s a few other lessons I learned:

✅Life’s short & it goes fast one of my favorites Betty would say.

✅Family is everything & your kids will grow so fast so enjoy every little moment!!

✅What I wouldn’t give to go back & have just one more day with my spouse.

It made me really realize how fast it does go!!

I was wasting a lot of mine on things these wise people were telling me didn’t matter.

Not one said,
-I wish I worked longer hours & made more money.
-I wish I watched more TV
-I wish I bought more stuff

They opened my eyes.

Since volunteering I’ve given up:
-TV & Netflix
-Working full time at a corporation
-Playing it safe
-A HAVE TO attitude
I don’t have to do anything now,
I GET TO do everything!

These shifts have propelled my life & helped me live so much more intentionally & joyfully!

We haven’t GOTTEN TO volunteer since the pandemic but look forward to again soon after we are allowed back in.

I would urge you to spend time with older, wiser people & soak in the lessons they can teach you!

I’m forever grateful they helped out a volunteer like they did!🙏❤️