This entry has very little to do with the real estate market and everything to do with Friendship. Long term or short...real friendships are necessary for nurturing the soul.
I just got to spend nearly 6 days with a woman I've known for more nearly 40 years. We were young then, she younger than I, and idealistic to the max. We weathered the storms in both of our lives, the losses of her parents, my marriage, our innocence. We've triumphed with moves to distant climes, new relationships, jobs, marriages, and family stresses. And we're still friends...silly girls giggling at side jokes, sharing the old memories and telling tales, making new ones.
Like any good friend, I'd love to have all my closest friends living right near-by. so naturally during her visit I did show her a house or two that might work if retirement to Florida was at all appealing to her or her totally agreeable husband. I'm planting the seed...buy a home in Florida now while the prices are lower so you'll have your stake in the sun when the time comes. And it's working...they're discussing the ins and outs of buying when they have 6 years to go. Rental? Vacation? Chuck it all now and just have fun in the sun? I'm crossing my fingers that one of these discussions yields a "let's go for it". I've already gotten the 'compound' started, when one friend retired from Miami to Vero in June. I hope to 'import' more!
So, in honor of friendship, and having nothing to do with real estate whatsoever, here is the email I received today from yet another old friend on How to Stay Young...
1. Try everything twice.
On one woman's tombstone she said she wanted this epitaph:
"Tried everything twice.loved it both times!"
2. Keep only cheerful friends.
The grouches pull you down.
(Keep this in mind if you are one of those grouches!)
3. Keep learning:
Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever.
Never let the brain get idle.
'An idle mind is the devil's workshop.'
And the devil's name is Alzheimer's!
4. Enjoy the simple things.
5. Laugh often, long and loud.
Laugh until you gasp for breath.
And if you have a friend who makes you laugh, spend lots and lots of time with HIM/HER.
6. The tears happen: Endure, grieve, and move on.
The only person who is with us our entire life, is ourselves.
LIVE while you are alive.
7. Surround yourself with what you love:
Whether it's family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever.
Your home is your refuge.
8. Cherish your health:
If it is good, preserve it.
If it is unstable, improve it.
If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.
9. Don't take guilt trips.
Take a trip to the mall, even to the next county, to a foreign country,
but NOT to where the guilt is.
10. Tell the people you love that you love them, at every opportunity...
and then say it over again.
About Me
- Bonnie Coulson
- I've been in the real estate profession since 1997 and love my job! There's always something new and interesting happening and it's never dull. That's why I created this blog. I hope it will inform and entertain you and that you'll check it often. Please note that I have not allowed for comments to be left after my posts since I do not have time to 'police' other's entrys for proper 'vocabulary', etc. If you have a comment, good or bad, please contact me directly. If your point is valid, I'll put it in another posting. All the best. Bon (Compass Point Real Estate 603 17th Street Vero Beach, FL 32960)