Ramblings of an Old Man

It’s sad that wisdom comes along when we are so damn old.
The lessons that you’ll learn in life are worth much more than gold.
I prefer to treat my age as simply time that I have earned.
Some facts of life you'll come upon are painful when they’re learned.  

The lessons I'm about to share were gathered through the years.
Some of them came naturally and some were bought with tears.
I’m confident my age has given me the right to muse.
Who knows? I may have some advice that some of you could use.

Don’t search for fame and fortune if you’ve overlooked your health.
The first person you must respect will have to be yourself.  
Promises won’t mean a thing if once one had been broken.  
Love is proven many ways and not just simply spoken.  

If you’re as pretty as a flower, just prepare yourself to wilt.
Don’t ever point a finger cause you’re seldom without guilt.
You can’t appreciate your wealth until you know what it has cost.
Several things are never missed until you know that they are lost.

Just when things are going well, they all can fall apart.
You’ll never know what pain is ‘til you’ve had a broken heart.
So many sights in nature simply take away your breath.
You won’t know how sweet life is ‘til you’re face to face with death.

Life’s simplest of pleasures will be sleeping like a log.
You can’t know true devotion if you’ve never owned a dog.
The most hurtful thing you do can simply come from what you say.
Kindness won’t do you any good until you’ve given it away.