*What if you could go back and offer love and empathy to your younger self?….What if you could give her clarity and insight?…What if you could be the person you needed back then?
*What would you tell yourself as a little girl? A teenager? 20 something?
*I don’t regret my past because it has lead me to the journey I am on today.
*Chances are…..WHAT YOU WOULD TELL YOUR YOUNGER SELF IS WHAT YOU STILL NEED TO HEAR NOW.
*We can be inspired by hearing the stories of others…we can see overwhelming courage and resilience, courage in the face of adversity, the importance of deep/meaningful relationships, that we can do hard things, and what a life full of life looks like.
*Let’s give our younger self something to look forward to!
*Elizabeth wrote a letter to her younger self (and she encouraged us to do the same)
*Guest on stage with Elizabeth= Joan…. (a “nonagenarian”= a person whose age is in the nineties)
-Joan shared her story….she was born in New York in 1929…the year the stock market crashed and the start of the Great Depression.  Her father passed away before she was born (when her Mom was 5 months pregnant)…she had 4 siblings…She moved out of the house when she was 16 years old…she  got a job as a waitress and found a place to live.  She loved movies.  She moved to Nevada….found work, married her first husband….he ended up  being and alcoholic and was abusive.  She was pregnant with their 2nd child when she decided to leave. She went back to NY to see her sister but ended up deciding to go back to Nevada.  She became a cocktail waitress and met her 2nd husband. He didn’t have a job….he relied on her to support him and he gambled a lot…Joan kicked him out when she became aware that he molested her niece that came to visit.  She was not looking to meet anyone when she was introduced to her true love…her husband “Les”….they married and were together for 56 years until he passed away in 2013.
-Elizabeth went through questions with Joan….
What is your earliest memory?  “when I was 4 years old and lost my 17 year old brother”
What do you remember about the war? “I was 12 when it started and 16 when it ended…they rationed sugar, butter, and wheat. I wanted to be part of the war but wasn’t old enough”
What was your favorite thing to do as a child? “play hopscotch” A teenager? “going to the movies”
Do you have any regrets? “not having the opportunity to go to college”
What are 3 things that make your life worth living? “God, Family, and Friends”
When did you stop caring about what other people think? “I never did”
What is your greatest joy? “my family”
Do you have any advice for Moms? “spend every moment you can with your children…it goes by fast. Be positive.  Accentuate all the good things they do.”
When Elizabeth made the comment “You never met your Dad”…..Joan almost cut her off and said gratefully “But, I had a Mom!”
What are you most proud of? “my children and grandchildren”
What are some life lessons you have learned? “if you find yourself in a situation that isn’t working out…get out”
What is your mantra?  “I try to be the best person I can be….a good friend, a good mother”
How would you like to be remembered?  “as a good wife, mother, and friend”
*All of our lives are different…As I see you live your life and stay your course it empowers me to stay my course and live mine.”
*Write a letter to your younger self.
*Chances are….WHAT YOU NEEDED TO HEAR WHEN YOU WERE YOUNGER IS ALSO WHAT YOU NEED TO HEAR NOW.